While the Mathews County Public School system has experienced some problems as it comes out of the pandemic, the division also certainly has its share of successes as well.

That was the message from eighth grader Hunter Owens, when he addressed last month’s school board meeting, urging the board to focus on the outstanding accomplishments of its students.

“There’s a lot of focus about the things that can be improved upon, and that’s important,” he said. But “there’s a lot of good things going on in our school that just need to be recognized.

“There should be a balance” between the two, Owens said.

The Thomas Hunter Middle School SCA president touted a litany of recent successes both at his school and Mathews High School, including the THMS band, which received superior ratings at Area Band, the recently revitalized Family and Consumer Sciences program which received numerous awards at the FCCLA State Conference, and the MHS band program, which just sent three of its member...