Trinity Lutheran High School teachers, administrators, staff and students are seeing stars. Four stars to be exact.

Earlier this month, the Indiana Department of Education announced the list of Hoosier schools receiving its Four Star School designation for 2017-18, and Trinity made the cut — again.

This marks the sixth time in seven years Trinity has earned the honor, which the state created more than 30 years ago to recognize outstanding academic achievement.

“Receiving designation as a Four Star School reflects academic excellence among students, educators and the administration,” Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick said. “I am honored to recognize these Four Star Schools for their hard work and dedication in preparing their students for a bright and prosperous future.”

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In order to receive four stars, a school must receive a grade of A on the state’s A-F accountability system and have high ISTEP+ pass rates.

A total of 234 schools received the honor this year. Trinity was the only Jackson County school to make the list.

The news didn’t come as much of a surprise to those associated with Trinity, as the school strives for excellence in all aspects of educating students, Principal Clayton Darlage said.

Darlage was named principal of the school in May 2018 after Ben Stellwagen resigned to take a position at Concordia University in Nebraska.

“Our mission is to educate, develop and prepare Christian servants and leaders, and the Four Star designation reaffirms the level of the education we provide,” Darlage said. “We are very excited about this and want to thank God for the grace he has bestowed upon Trinity and the support he gives us through the community to further our mission.”

The school has been successful at earning four stars for many different reasons, Darlage said.

“The hard work and dedication of our students is paramount in receiving this honor along with the dedication and sacrifice from our staff,” he said.

Trinity stands out among other schools due to small class sizes, having extra support from staff and multiple pathways for students to develop their skills, Darlage said.

“Furthermore, Trinity’s Christian environment creates an atmosphere that is conducive to spiritual, mental, social and emotional growth for all students,” he said. “The success at Trinity would not be possible without the ongoing love, sacrifice and involvement of many inside and outside our walls.”

Senior Caleb Gruenwald said the teachers and staff are what make the school special.

“We may not offer a lot of the classes that Seymour (High School) does, but our teachers do their best to make sure everything is easy to understand,” he said. “Plus, they are there both early morning and after school in case a student is in need of assistance.”

Assistant Principal Marianne Wischmeier said she is proud of the school’s performance. This is her first year at Trinity.

“Looking at the list of other recognized schools, Trinity is humbled to represent Jackson County in the company of many respected and high-performing parochial and public high schools across the state,” she said.

Wischmeier gives credit to surrounding Lutheran schools for preparing students for success at Trinity.

“Our students come to us with strong foundational skills and work habits from their feeder schools,” she said.

From that point on, Trinity continues the high standards of achievement that already have been established in students and guides them on their path to graduation and beyond.

“The talented and dedicated faculty and staff provide quality instruction and invest in meaningful relationships with students,” Wischmeier said. “These actions produce high academic achievement.”

Although the designation is more about ISTEP+ scores and graduation rates, of which Trinity has 100 percent, it also reinforces the saying “It takes a village,” she said.

“A Four Star recognition affirms the efforts of the entire TLHS community to value a Christian education,” she said. “This pattern and culture of achievement is one we look forward to continuing for years to come.”