Bovina Elementary School has earned recognition for achieving academic excellence and has been chosen a 2018 Leader in Me Lighthouse School of Academic Distinction.

The Vicksburg Warren School District learned of the honor Friday.

The honor comes from the prestigious FranklinCovey Education, which oversees the Leader In Me program.

Sean Covey, President of FranklinCovey Education, stated that schools like Bovina Elementary “serve as exemplars for Leader in Me Schools throughout the world.” He congratulated school administration, teachers and students for “continued excellence as a beacon for Leader in Me schools!”

Vicksburg Warren School Superintendent Chad Shealy said officials are “extremely proud of the students, teachers, parents, and staff at Bovina.

“They set high goals and used the seven habits of the Leader In Me initiative to achieve them. This award is proof that this process works and we are looking forward to another great year of learning at Bovina and in the District,” Shealy said.

The Leader In Me initiative is an evidence-based, comprehensive school improvement model — that empowers students with the leadership and life-skills they need to thrive in the 21st century. Bovina Elementary School began the initiative in 2012 and achieved Lighthouse status in 2015.

According to a press release from VWSD, the Lighthouse School of Academic Distinction award recognizes Leader in Me Schools that have both met the rigorous requirements necessary to achieve and maintain Lighthouse School Certification and shown exemplary academic growth or proficiency as measured by state accountability standards.

Academic distinction is determined through the data analysis of an independent nonprofit website focused on empowering families with reliable data about the performance of their children’s school. The sites algorithm scores on a percentile ranking, comparing like schools across the state.

To meet the academic proficiency standard, a school must be at or above the 85th percentile for the state’s combined proficiency standards. To meet the academic growth standard, the school must be at or above the 50th percentile and have shown a 5 percent growth from the previous year’s percentile ranking. The percentile ranking for Bovina Elementary was 88.9 percent in your state, showing exemplary academic proficiency.

There are only three Lighthouse Schools in the state of Mississippi and all are in the Vicksburg Warren School District — Bovina, Bowmar Avenue and Redwood. 

According to VWSD director of communications Christi Kilroy, “several others should reach this status in the next two years.”

The Leader In Me initiative began through a partnership with the Vicksburg Warren Chamber of Commerce and is in now in all 16 schools (pre-K through 12th grade) within the district.