The report cards are in for Lawrence County’s public schools and the end result is that all are making the grade and a few are excelling.

The Ohio Department of Education’s annual analysis of how public schools are meeting the state-mandated guidelines was released this week.

The ratings are based on a variety of factors including students’ scores on the state tests; progress of students from one year to next; high school graduation rates and attendance rates.

Parents and taxpayers should be pleased with the results because the overall status of public education in Lawrence County appears to be stronger than it has ever been.

Three districts — Fairland, Dawson-Bryant and Rock Hill — were all ranked as “excellent.” This is a huge accomplishment and everyone involved from administrators to teachers to students to parents should be commended for their hard work and commitment to results.

The county’s four other districts and Green in Scioto County were all deemed to be “effective,” a ranking that is still positive.

Each individual school received its own ranking as well.

These results are only preliminary because the state continues to investigate cheating allegations in a few urban Ohio schools.

And no one should make the mistake of thinking that Ohio’s public education system is perfect. It isn’t.

State report cards are not the only way school districts should measure their success, but they are certainly roadmaps that show where districts are and the direction they need to go.