A Georgia school district has become the first in the nation in nearly 40 years to lose accreditation.
The decision comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools against Clayton County. The 50,000 student district, just south of Atlanta, expects to appeal the ruling.
The accrediting agency in a scathing February report detailed widespread unethical conduct within Clayton’s school board, calling the board "dysfunctional" and "fatally flawed". It gave the district until September 1st to show enough progress and meet nine mandates. But just this week, a judge ruled four members of the school board should be removed for violation of Georgia’s open meetings laws and ethics code.
The loss of accreditation means students in the county will have a harder time obtaining scholarships, and getting into some colleges and universities. The district will also lose pre-kindergarten funding and some teacher benefits.
Governor Sonny Perdue did sign legislation earlier this year ensuring students of unaccredited schools would be eligible for the state’s lottery-funded college scholarship.
The decision comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools against Clayton County. The 50,000 student district, just south of Atlanta, expects to appeal the ruling.
The accrediting agency in a scathing February report detailed widespread unethical conduct within Clayton’s school board, calling the board "dysfunctional" and "fatally flawed". It gave the district until September 1st to show enough progress and meet nine mandates. But just this week, a judge ruled four members of the school board should be removed for violation of Georgia’s open meetings laws and ethics code.
The loss of accreditation means students in the county will have a harder time obtaining scholarships, and getting into some colleges and universities. The district will also lose pre-kindergarten funding and some teacher benefits.
Governor Sonny Perdue did sign legislation earlier this year ensuring students of unaccredited schools would be eligible for the state’s lottery-funded college scholarship.
