According to numbers from American College Testing, in 2018 the average composite score on the ACT was 20.8, with more than 1.91 million students throughout the United States taking part in the test that year.
Of those students, only 3,741 - or .195 percent - made a perfect score of 36. So for the Petal School District to have 43 students who made at least a 30 on the test - including two students who scored 35 and one who scored a 36 - is quite an achievement.
"I think it's a credit to our teachers and the whole district, because it's not just our high school teachers," high school principal Rob Knight said. "These kids have got such a strong foundation in reading, math and science from an early age, and I think our teachers all throughout our district just do such a great job preparing them for the high school.
"And then when they get to the high school, I think our teachers do a really good job of pushing them even further, but they've got a really strong foundation. So you're really proud of those kids, and you know they're going to do great things."
Two current juniors at the high school scored 35 on the test, while senior Thomas Sanchez made a perfect score during his junior year.
"There may have been some a long time ago, but nobody here can remember a 36," Knight said. "We tried to go back to 2000, and we didn't know of anybody that had that.
"I'm not saying they didn't, but nobody at our school can remember that, and one of our counselors has been there since the '90s. She couldn't remember a student ever scoring a 36, so it's certainly been a long time, if ever, that we know of."
Knight said although the students - who were honored at a recent meeting of the Petal School District Board of Trustees - are very successful academically, they remain down-to-earth and humble every day.
"They're really good kids; they don't brag," he said. "Like (Sanchez), he doesn't brag; he's just humble about it. They're just quality kids, and you know they're going to be good people when they leave us.
"So that's really what I'm most proud of, that they're just good people, and they're going to be great adults. I just look forward to the great things they're going to do in this world."
Matt Dillon, superintendent of the Petal School District, said he continues to be impressed with the district's students year in and year out.
"To have over 40-plus students in grades 9-12 with a 30 or higher on the ACT is a testament to the hard work of our students, families and our teachers," he said. "Our high school administration and teachers have worked collectively to increase efforts around preparation for the ACT.
"Students are taking more rigorous classes and really pushing themselves to academic success. Many of these students are also involved in extracurricular activities, yet make the time to excel in all areas."
Knight looks forward to improving ACT scores even more, and three current juniors already have scored a 29 on the test that was administered in February.
"So we hope to grow it, just to prepare the kids so that they're successful," he said. "It means a lot to the parents and kids, because that saves them money for school and really allows them to get into some colleges that they want.
"And it really opens up a lot of doors for them past high school. So we're proud of it, but more than anything we're just proud for those kids and the opportunities they'll have."
