West Limestone and East Limestone high schools were recently named A+ College Ready Schools of Distinction, with Ardmore High School earning its first title as a School of Excellence.

As of this year, all six Limestone County high schools are part of the A+ College Ready program, which provides training for educators, stipends for Advanced Placement teachers and incentives for students. Limestone County Schools Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Brad Lewis said East Limestone and West Limestone high schools each increased the number of students who took AP exams and earned qualifying scores of 3 or better on a 5-point scale.

The schools have also been named Schools of Excellence for multiple years in a row, which earned them each the title of “School of Distinction.” This is the first year Ardmore has earned the “School of Excellence” title.

Ardmore recently recognized some of its 45 participating students, including 20 that earned qualifying scores and college credit through the program, at an AP Scholars ceremony Sept. 10.

“It’s really making a difference,” Lewis said. “Both my boys attended Ardmore High School and took AP courses, and now they’re both at Auburn (University). I can tell you, it makes a difference, the rigor they receive and the dual enrollment program. Both boys participated in that, and it reduced the number of hours they take at Auburn.”

Superintendent Tom Sisk said LCS is “thrilled” to be home to three of only a handful of schools in the state receiving such honors. West and East are the only two Schools of Distinction this year in Alabama, while Ardmore was one of only six Schools of Excellence.

“The teachers have done a marvelous job,” Sisk said. “I want to thank our board for giving us the opportunity to proceed into this program. Now, with Clements and Tanner coming on board, all six of our schools are A+ College Ready, which is awesome. That’s an area we’ve been working really hard to improve in.”