It is not always easy to be a student at John T. Morgan Academy.

When you attend a school that sets the standard on education excellence year after year, sometimes students at other schools tend to get a little jealous, boasts Morgan headmaster Christopher de Bunza.

The Alabama Independent School Association recently named Morgan Academy as one of its top schools in the state for 11 years in a row.

Morgan is also the only school to receive both the AISA Blue Ribbon Award and the prestigious President’s Award for two straight years.

The school takes pride in each of these wins, de Bunza said, because making it to the top takes plenty of hard work by both teachers and students.

While de Bunza admits that he occasionally wonders if Morgan Academy is going to run out of different projects and competitions to be involved in, the many plaques and trophies that line the walls of the school office tell a different story.

Since Morgan Academy is consistently ranked in the top of its category, each year the school feels pressure to rise above its own precedent.

De Bunza, who has been headmaster at Morgan for 19 years, said there is a lot of talent that can be found in Dallas and other surrounding counties.

The criteria for meeting AISA standards include SAT and ACT test scores, the number of former seniors in college, the percentage of scholarships received, and community involvement.