When the Demopolis High School Class of 2009 set foot in the school for their first class of the year, only78 percent of them had passed the required Alabama High Schools Graduation Exam. Earlier this month, that number jumped up to 98 percent.

The news gets better when you consider the upcoming seniors for the next two classes. This year’s junior class has had 84 percent of its number pass the graduation exam, while 58 percent of this year’s sophomores passed it.

Once a student passes the AHSGE, he doesn’t have to take it again; he has passed it. Five out of six juniors no longer have to worry about passing the graduation exam and can focus on ACT or SAT tests or college choices. Three-fifths of the sophomores are in the same boat.

We congratulate the seniors, juniors and sophomores for working hard to do so well on this vital exam. The success is yours and is not only something you can wear with pride, but you can also carry it with you throughout your lives as an example of how you brought about success through determination and your own intellectual talents.

Congratulations, also, to the teachers and staff for their work in preparing DHS students for the exam. It takes leadership and organization to bring this kind of success, and our teachers have shown their skills in preparing our students well.

Demopolis High School students can wear their graduation exam success like a badge of honor, and we look forward to future students continuing that success and even expanding it further, reaching new heights in education.

Congratulations, DHS. Job well done.