Like most of Selma, we look forward to the day when no schools from the Dallas County or Selma School System find themselves on the failing school list.

Unfortunately, that won’t be the year 2015.

For the second consecutive year, five schools from our area have been labeled as “failing” schools in a list sent out by the State Department of Education. Failing schools are those that test in the bottom 6 percent of the state in reading and math for at least three of the previous six years.

Selma’s R.B. Hudson and Dallas County’s Keith Middle High and Tipton-Durant Middle School were on this year’s list. Brantley Elementary and Southside High School were also on the list, but eligible for the U.S. Department of Education’s school improvement grant.

We want to believe that both of the local public school systems are making strides.

Just over a week ago, we reported that both systems saw their graduation rates improve from the previous year and several schools in the area made enormous jumps.

The numbers gave parents a reason to celebrate and to brag about our school systems but detractors will now only point to the failing school list, which includes 66 schools from around the state. Sadly over 7 percent of those schools are from the Selma or Dallas County School Systems.

It would be easy to point fingers and call out school leaders, shaking our fists and demanding that they find out what it is going on, but it’s clear both are already working to find a solution.

When asked about the list, Dallas County Superintendent of Education Don Willingham and Selma Acting Superintendent of Education Larry DiChiara came across as confident that they were working on the issues facing each school system.

That’s not to say the community shouldn’t be concerned because they have every right to be. One of our schools on the failing school list is too many and five is not acceptable.

This isn’t just a school problem though. Rather, it’s a community problem.

We need parents and community members willing to rally around our school systems and be proactive. Whether that means joining the P.T.O. or joining other organizations that support the school, becoming a part of the solution is the first step.

Our hope is that in 2016 most, if not all, of the schools listed on this year’s failing school report are no longer on it.

Until that day comes and well beyond it, they need all of the community support they can get.