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This week, the fifth- to eighth-grade school was recognized for those results.
Plantersville was one of 20 Mississippi schools named by the state's department of education as Title 1 Distinguished Schools.
That honor is given to schools around the country for narrowing the gap between how students from different subgroups, such as race or gender, score on standardized tests. By being named a distinguished school, Plantersville also will receive $27,495.35 from the Mississippi Department of Education. That money is designated for specific educational purposes.
"I'm real proud of the award," said Plantersville Principal Bill Horton. "The money will be helpful, but having that award for our kids, our school and our faculty is what is really great.
"It shows our kids, our faculty and our community that we can excel and sustain it. Everything comes with hard work, and we can do it."
Title 1 is a federal program that provides funding to schools with large concentrations of poverty. The distinguished school program recognizes the accomplishments of various Title 1 schools.
The recognition is based on test scores from the 2009-10 school year. During the year, the school nearly doubled the percentage of its students who scored at least proficient on the test in sixth-grade language, sixth-grade math and eighth-grade math. It also made large gains in fifth-grade math.
Although test scores weren't as strong this past school year, Horton said the momentum from this recognition can help carry the school going forward.
"I feel like this is a critical year for us to get over the hump, and we have everything in place to make it a successful year and sustain that success," he said.
Last year, Plantersville was ranked "Successful," the third highest of seven tiers in Mississippi's accountability rankings. Those ratings haven't yet been released for this year.
Plantersville is the third Lee County school to receive the honor in the last three years. Verona Elementary and Mooreville Elementary were recently named as distinguished schools.
Lee County School District Federal Programs Director Casey Dye said that the recognition was a testament to the hard work done by students, teachers, Horton and former Plantersville Assistant Principal Shelly Brooks. Brooks is now principal at Shannon Primary.
Other Northeast Mississippi schools that were nominated this year as Title 1 Distinguished Schools include Holly Springs High School, Holly Springs Junior High and Tishomingo Elementary.
chris.kieffer@journalinc.com