The Cobb County school district is seeking re-accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
A group of about 20 SACS officials are scheduled to be in Cobb evaluating the district over a three-day period, starting Nov. 17. Cobb officials expect to receive a preliminary report from SACS at the end of that evaluation, indicating if the system is going to be re-accredited.
The agency’s opinions about accreditation influence a school district’s reputation and its graduates’ chances for college admissions and scholarships. That, in turn, can also affect the local economy since public education is a key factor businesses consider when choosing where to locate.
No other major school system in metro Atlanta is going through SACS re-accreditation this school year other than Cobb, the state’s second-largest district with close to 109,000 students. School systems typically go through the re-accreditation process every five years, though the agency also keeps tabs on how districts are performing between re-accreditation visits.
In determining accreditation, SACS looks at several factors, including student performance and achievement levels, district governance and financial stability.
DeKalb County’s school district has been at risk in recent years of losing its SACS accreditation, amid management and financial problems. In response, Gov. Nathan Deal replaced six elected school board members in 2013.
Since then DeKalb has made progress addressing the concerns of SACS, but the agency has not restored full accreditation to the district. SACS is next scheduled to review and evaluate DeKalb’s system in December.
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