Boerne High School's reputation for academics, athletics, and fine arts is well known. Our local newspapers thoroughly cover athletic accomplishments on a weekly basis and the San Antonio Express-News named our athletic program the best in the San Antonio area these past three years running. Moreover, the high school's fine arts program is often in the news when student performances are given, such as the marching band's recent trip to state competition. But in this column, I'd like to trumpet a couple of our high school's most recent academic accomplishments outside these other more publicized areas.

The Texas ACT Council just notified our high school they are to receive the 2007 College Readiness Award. This award is given for "increasing the number of students taking the ACT Assessment over the past five years and significantly increasing their level of achievement and college readiness." According to the ACT press release, "Only 79 high schools in Texas were honored for their superior level of accomplishment."

I more often report on our SAT scores partly because the general public is more familiar with that test. Boerne High School achieved its highest-ever scores on the SAT over the past three years. They are from 70 to 100 points higher than state averages. Combining SAT and ACT results demonstrate that more than 90 percent of our students take one or both tests by the time they graduate. When that large of a cross section participates, the odds for high score class averages generally diminish, and yet our high school prevailed!

In previous columns, I've reported on stellar College Advanced Placement results. Suffice it to say here that we've achieved ever higher score averages, while also setting records for student enrollment in those college level courses. And our partnership with UTSA, whereby some of our students attend one college class on that campus per semester, also provides rare higher education possibilities before graduation. The Tech Prep agreements with other local colleges are still another way to earn simultaneous high school and college credit prior to departure from BHS.

I won't mention other BHS citations here except to note that it was again named last month as among the best in the state by Texas Monthly magazine. The criteria for that award are confined to the TAKS test, and thus tell only part of the story.

Recently, I was intrigued by a newsletter sent from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. On the front of the academy’s December 2007 edition is a map of Texas with a star pointing solely to Boerne. Why?

It was noted there are five cadets from here enrolled at the academy, an unusual accomplishment for a town and district the size of Boerne. The admission standards for the academy are very high, and it is difficult to get the legislator recommendation with so few openings. Current Boerne cadets are Tyler Voss, Daniel Velo, Mike Rogers, Ashley Langston and A.J. Smith. The article notes that Blair Kessler from Boerne is yet another Boerne student on his way. Our Boerne prominence at the academy would not be possible without the college prep opportunities at Boerne High School and its stellar AFJROTC program, now in the sixth year of operation.

We salute the Boerne High School Principal Betty Butler, the many outstanding faculty and staff members, and the students attending there now and in the past.