During the regularly scheduled May Board of Education meeting, the St. James R-1 School District proudly recognized Mrs. Hope Hunter and Lucy Wortham James Elementary. A representative from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) attended the meeting to formally present the school’s 2025 to 2026 Exemplary School Library designation.
The recognition is one of the highest honors a school library program can receive in Missouri and highlights schools that demonstrate exceptional service, instruction, and impact on student learning. DESE representatives attended the meeting to personally recognize the achievement and celebrate the work taking place at LWJE.
Earlier this school year, Lucy Wortham James Elementary was announced as one of only two elementary library programs in Missouri to earn the distinction. LWJE was also the only small town school recognized among this year’s recipients. Most notably, LWJE is the only elementary library program in the state to have earned the Exemplary School Library designation three separate times.
“It is a great honor to be recognized by DESE in this way,” said Hunter. “This is definitely not something I earned on my own. It is a St. James School District win and it is not possible to attain without the support of administration, parents, teachers, students, and community members. My reason for applying multiple times is to ensure the program continues to reach the bar that DESE has set as exemplary. Our students deserve nothing less than that.”
In addition to the DESE recognition, Mrs. Hunter was recently selected to serve as President of the Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL), a professional organization that supports nearly 900 librarians and library professionals across Missouri and beyond.
As MASL President, Mrs. Hunter will help lead statewide efforts focused on professional development, collaboration, advocacy, and innovation in school libraries. She credits the organization as a major influence on the continued growth and success of the LWJE library program.
“I attribute MASL for much of the success of the elementary library program,” said Hunter. “The professional development offered by this organization exceeds any other school librarian professional development in variety, rigor, and creativity. In addition to stellar professional development, the networking opportunities are also many and extremely supportive. I’m excited for the opportunity to serve in this capacity and thankful to the friends, supporters, and champions both in our school district and in MASL who have supported me and school libraries every step of the way.”
The St. James R 1 School District congratulates Mrs. Hunter on these outstanding accomplishments and thanks her for the passion, leadership, and innovation she continues to bring to our students, staff, and school libraries across Missouri.