CharacterPlus®, the longest-running character education initiative in the country, recently announced its 2025 Missouri Schools of Character.
Of the 16 schools from the area recognized this year, three are in South County: Bayless Junior High School, Long Elementary School (Lindbergh Schools) and Oakville High School.
“We believe in providing a welcoming learning environment for all students,”Oakville High School’s principal Brian Brennan stated in a press release. “We are incredibly honored to have CharacterPlus recognize our ongoing efforts to provide a positive experience for our students and community.”
Schools named a State School of Character hold the designation for five years and are eligible to be evaluated for recognition as a National School of Character. If a school is designated a National School of Character, they also hold that designation for five years. National Schools of Character are announced annually in May.
This is not the first year schools from South County have been honored by CharacterPlus.
Both Oakville High School and Bayless Junior High School were previously recognized as 2020 State School of Characters – along with Concord Elementary School (Lindbergh Schools), while Bayless Elementary School and Bayless High School were celebrated in 2021. Hancock Place Middle School, Mehlville High School and the entire Bayless School District were given the award in 2023. 2024 saw the highest number of South County schools honored, with Hancock Place High School, Lindbergh High School, Sperreng Middle School (Lindbergh Schools) and Truman Middle School (Lindbergh Schools) recognized.
Despite the large number of South County schools that have been given the award over the past five years, it is no easy achievement to be selected by CharacterPlus.
In the 2025 nationwide evaluation process, 98 schools from across the country and eight international schools were named State Schools of Character. Five districts were named State Districts of Character.
“These schools have demonstrated a focus on character development which has positively impacted academic achievement, student behavior and school climate,” a statement from CharacterPlus read.
