BEVERLY — After eight years, Beverly High School is finally off probation.
The Commission on Public Secondary Schools recently voted to take the high school off probation and recommend that it receive full accreditation status in the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
The commission's decision was based on a report by a committee that visited the school in October.
The high school had been on probation since May 2003, primarily due to the poor condition of the building. That all changed with the opening of a new, four-story academic wing in November, followed by demolition of the old wings this year.
The possibility of losing accreditation was a primary motivation for the city's approval of the recently completed $81 million high school project, which in addition to the new academic wing included renovation of the existing field house, auditorium and cafeteria.
"When your school is fully accredited, it's just good for the entire city," Principal Sean Gallagher said. "For families coming in buying houses and looking at the school system, to know you have a fully accredited school is a good thing."
A team of 15 educators from the Commission on Public Secondary Schools spent four days at Beverly High last October observing classrooms, shadowing students, and meeting with teachers, administrators, students and parents.
The team wrote an 82-page report describing Beverly High as a "very good school" with room to improve.
Accreditation is a voluntary process undertaken by many schools. Approximately 650 public secondary schools in New England have been accredited through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2675 or pleighton@salemnews.com.
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