Standardized test scores weigh on Decatur City Schools — largely a consequence of high poverty rates and high enrollment in special education classes — but its successes are dramatic.

Many throughout the nation had the treat of watching the award-winning Austin High School Marching Band’s televised performance at the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade.

On Saturday, a robotics team made up of Decatur High and Austin High technology wizards will compete in Auburn at a robotics competition that draws the best teams from much of the nation. To get there, Decatur-Austin Robotics Coalition had to place first in an intense regional competition that included top teams from Huntsville and several states.

In the process of seeking improvements in the school system, we should not lose sight of its excellence.