The head of a South Los Angeles public elementary school has cause for a double celebration this week having seen a remarkable improvement in test scores this year and on Friday will see the red-ribbon cutting of its new library completely remodeled with a $250,000 private grant.

The 74th Street and Gifted Magnet School, located at 2112 W. 74th St., where more than 80 percent of its 650 studentss are African-American, recently scored 828 on the state’s Academic Performance Index (API) notching up an increase of 78 points from last year’s score of 750.

As for the makeover project, that is a courtesy of Target and The Heart of America Foundation, which offers 16 such grants nationwide where schools can apply for funds to upgrade their libraries.

The new and improved library’s Friday unveiling will be attended by LAUSD Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines, local District 3 Superintendent Michelle King and District 1 board member Marguerite LaMotte.

“The principal, teachers, staff and students of 74th Street have done a magnificent job of raising the school’s API to a whopping 828, a full 73 points above their target of 75,” said LaMotte in a statement.

“Their accomplishments prove public schools are effective in educating students, especially when stakeholders, including experienced and determined administrators, well-trained and dedicated teachers, hard-working students and involved parents and guardians, are working together to achieve academic success.”

In addition, more than 200 Target volunteers will join students, parents and teaching staff in activities scheduled from early morning through the ribbon-cutting ceremony, scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m.

According to Principal Andre Cunningham, who is into his 10th year at the school, the results are a testament to a change of attitude from students, teachers and parents that has seen an “amazing” growth when 74th was identified as an program improvement school with an API score of just 469.

“Firstly, our goal was just to try to become a school that was no longer an improvement school,” said Cunningham. “We had to do that by meeting our API every year with a certain amount of growth. When we made it to 690 a couple of years ago we were elated, but we set a goal for the kids that we wanted to join the 700 club.”

He continued: “That was the push for the whole year to make 700, but we actually went up to 750. Then at the beginning of last year I kept saying that I want my school represented when they call out the 800 numbers.

“Our whole focus was to close the achievement gap for African-American and Hispanic students. And amidst the budget cuts, where we lost six good teachers, and low morale, we still achieved the highest improvement growth of any elementary school in the district.”

Not surprisingly, Cunningham might be seen as something of a miracle worker, but credits the increase to back-to-basics hard work and a complete focus on attitude.

“We had to change the climate, create a culture where kids, parents, staff understood that school is an institution of learning,” explained Cunningham.

“You come here to learn, to acquire knowledge, that’s the whole purpose. It takes me all the way back as a young man growing up in the South when every Sunday you went to church whether you liked it or not. … We were there all day long, but one of the things our parents installed in us is that once you put your foot on that ground you knew you were at a sacred place.

“You couldn’t have a bad thought, you couldn’t do anything wrong. You had to go there to listen and when the preacher finished his teachings, people walked out excited, like they learned something. So, I said that’s the attitude we have to develop about school, not religious in that sense, but we must feel we’re coming here in that tradition of learning, once my kids set foot here they know it’s time to go to work.”

The change in attitude is no less rigorous for his staff.

A prospective teacher is never just interviewed and hired. Cunningham said that he will invite that candidate to walk the campus, see the kids and the community, ask themselves if it feels right, if it’s a place they want to be in and then he invites him or her to ask to be interviewed for the job.

“We all feel we should be paid more, but we didn’t get in this business for money,” said Cunningham. “We want to help children and so we want somebody who wants to be here and is committed to the kids that we serve at this school.”

Cunningham revealed that the new ethos begins first thing in the morning when he greets the kids at the front gates when parents drop off their students in the newly instituted “safety valet” zone.

That’s where the street is cordoned off with help from the LAPD and parent volunteers coordinate cars in single file as students are met with a “hello” and ushered in through a single entrance.

The principal noted that they even ask parents to turn off the car stereo. “We want the kids with a mindset ready for learning the minute they step in here,” added Cunningham.

While looking forward to Friday’s celebration, Cunningham is all about surpassing the next day’s goals.

“We preach that while you might achieve here, your ultimate goal is not just to get to college but to graduate and become professional individuals,” he said.