Lindbergh Schools became one of only 16 percent of the nation’s 15,571 school districts to be named a recipient of the 2012 21st annual SchoolMatch “What Parents Want” Award.

The district received the award for meeting the needs of families who choose quality education for children.

“Lindbergh’s rapidly growing enrollment is a reflection of how an exceptional, educational value attracts families with school-age children to a particular area,” Superintendent Jim Simpson stated in a news release. “In the same way, parents who are invested in their child’s schooling are a key element to what makes school districts great. Crestwood was recently named among the best places to raise kids in America by Bloomberg Businessweek, and Lindbergh is proud to play a part in that.”

SchoolMatch, the nation’s largest school-selection consulting firm, helps corporate employee families find schools that match the needs of their children. The annual distinction is based on factors that parents most often look for in school systems, including: competitive test scores, accreditation, national recognitions of excellence, competitive teacher salaries, above average instructional and library expenditures — when compared on a national basis — and small class sizes.

 “You have demonstrated that, through initiative and persistence, schools of great talent and ability can achieve their educational goals,” Missouri Commissioner of Education Chris Nicastro wrote in a letter to the district.