Lindbergh High School Principal Ron Helms thanked Board of Education members for their support during the Dec. 11 meeting and presented them with the school’s National Blue Ribbon awards from the U.S. Department of Education.

Helms attended the 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools awards luncheon in Washington, D.C., Nov. 13, where he received a Blue Ribbon plaque and flag that will be displayed in the high school.

“The students and staff of Lindbergh High School would like to thank each of the board members for their encouragement and support over the years. Your laser focus on what is best for students has made this ‘Blue Ribbon’ achievement possible,” Helms told the board as he presented it with the plaque and flag.

LHS is one of only four high schools in Missouri and 269 K-12 schools nationwide to receive the prestigious 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools award from the United States Department of Education. Less than 1 percent of the nation’s more than 100,000 schools were recognized this year.

To qualify as an “Exemplary High Performing” school, LHS is recognized as one of the state’s highest-performing schools, as measured by the Missouri Assessment Program, or MAP, tests.

Helms credits the school’s success to a three-tiered focus on curriculum assessment, personalized instruction and collaborative teacher-learning communities where instructors focus on individual students’ progress to help them achieve success.

“The kids and instructors form a real partnership, and they don’t just want to be mediocre; they want to be the best,” Helms said. “I applaud our students and staff who make the difference, and our board and district administrators who give us the support and resources we need to succeed.”

In its 30-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has recognized nearly 7,000 schools in America. For more information, visit

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