Leon County Schools officials said Tuesday they are working with the South Carolina Department of Education to create a list of power schools in the state, with an emphasis on students who are academically gifted.

The list will be posted online Monday, along with the name of the school and the district, and will provide a snapshot of where students can get the most quality instruction.

“We want to provide the best possible education for our students, and this is just the beginning,” Superintendent Mark Smith said.

“With our partnership with the state and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, we want to build upon the tremendous progress that has been made in recent years.”

Leon County Public Schools, which is located in central North Carolina, had 5,400 students last year, and is in the process of moving to a new facility that is expected to be ready in 2019.

The new school is located on the edge of town near the scenic Appalachian Trail.

Leon, which has more than 5,300 residents, has been a leader in the push for standardized testing since it was created in 2009.

In 2017, Leon had the nation’s highest rate of non-English language learners (NEL) in the country at 12.9 percent, a figure that is up slightly from the previous year.

Leo has one of the lowest rates of suspensions among the state’s power districts, which also includes Augusta, Fayetteville, Columbia, and Orange counties.

The number of students in Leon’s school district has been steadily increasing since it expanded in 2012.

In 2016, the district enrolled 1,964 students, an increase of nearly 100 students from the year before.

The school district said Tuesday that the goal for 2019 is to enroll 3,000 students.

Leons students are also expected to benefit from the new building that will include classroom space, a new computer lab, and a new technology lab.

Smith said the district plans to be a “sustainable, high-performing district.”

The district has seen a steep drop in student suspensions in recent months.

Last year, the number of student suspensions statewide was 1,634.

Leons student suspension rate is now a low of 5.9 per 100,000 in the county.