Clayton schools ready to fight

Officials with the Clayton County school district say they're ready to fight to keep its accreditation. County school superintendent John Thompson says the district has adopted dozens of new policies, revamped how it tracks student attendance and tamed its unruly school board. Next week, Thompson will turn over more than 2,000 pages of evidence over to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), detailing progress on the requirements outlined in a scathing report. A team from SACS will visit the district in August and make a recommendation by the end of the month. Losing accreditation would jeopardize students' chance of earning spots at colleges and getting scholarships. It would also put the district at risk of losing state money for prekindergarten programs.

(Associated Press)