SANDPOINT — Celebration followed surprise at a Sandpoint High School staff meeting Tuesday when students’ SAT results were announced.

The school landed at the top of the list in reading comprehension, math and writing after the release of Idaho’s first year of state-funded testing. Compared to the state averages of 449 in critical reading, 455 in math and 448 in writing, Sandpoint High School juniors placed an average of 479, 480 and 471, respectively. Those averages were good enough to land the school in first place in critical reading and math among high schools its size. And while the high school was second place in writing, it was only one point away from tying for first place.

“This is a huge day for us,” SHS Principal Becky Meyer said, later adding, “I’m so excited I can hardly speak.”

The results come from the first round of state-funded SAT testing for juniors conducted in April. With Boise footing the bill, 90 percent of Sandpoint juniors had their first shot at the test, a common requirement for any college application. Based on their good performance, Sandpoint High School’s status as a five-star school under Idaho’s new rating system is even more secure since SAT scores are a factor in ranking consideration.

District administrators and officials, including school board chair Steve Youngdahl, vice chair Mindy Cameron and superintendent Shawn Woodward congratulated the high school staff on the achievement, attributing the positive results to their hard work.

“At the district office, we were talking about how it was going to get tough to move the needle much farther,” Youngdahl said. “But you guys delivered in a big, big way.”

However, Meyer wasn’t one to relax after success, stating the next goal is to climb scores to above 500 points across the board.

That opportunity will come in April, when the high school’s new juniors will take advantage of the state-funded SATs. An initiative designed to help students make the transition from high school to college, the test day resulted in 17,000 Idaho juniors taking the SAT. According to data from the Idaho State Department of Education, only 2,829 students took the test the year prior.