In recent weeks, we have tried to highlight positive steps made in education in Selma. Selma High earned deserved praise for its vast improvements on the state report card.

While public education affects the most students, we feel it is important to highlight private schools who also do much to provide quality education to their students.

For the 11th time since 1991, Morgan Academy has received the President’s Award. To receive the award, given by the Alabama Independent School Association, school must meet a number of criteria. Among those are: the number of graduates accepted to college; accreditation status, professional staff qualifications; number of victories earned during academic competition; and the number of academic scholars for the current year.

Those are not simple goals to meet, yet year after year, Morgan Academy seems to dominate the state in academic excellence. The evidence is in the trophy case.

Dr. Christopher deBuzna, headmaster at Morgan, obviously has a pattern for making his students successful. Based on one of the criteria, he has qualified teachers who work diligently with students. That, it seems, is the only way to produce the number of “scholars” Morgan consistently produces.

We talk a lot in Selma about what’s wrong. And sometimes, when we find things that are right, we find ways to make them wrong.

Private schools serve a distinct purpose in our community. They serve a distinct purpose in any community.

Morgan Academy’s success should be deemed just that — success. We should all, as a community, applaud the hard work they do in their school. We should applaud deBuzna for his commitment to his students. And we should applaud the teachers and students who are recognized year upon year for their academic excellence.