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High School Building Committee Meeting, December 8, 2005
The High School Building Committee met on December 8 to discuss the report of the Wayland High School accreditation review process.
Wayland High School Principal Charlie Ruopp gave a summary of the report released in late October by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The NEASC conducted a lengthy review at Wayland High School last spring, as part of a re-accreditation process that occurs every ten years. During its review, the committee assesses the quality of the educational program and compares the school to its Standards for Accreditation. Ruopp reported that the Commission commended WHS for many aspects of the educational program, including the school’s mission statement, the rigor of the curriculum and the dedication of the faculty.
However the Commission noted a “serious concern related to a number of serious facilities, space and health and safety issues throughout the campus.” They found the facility does not adequately support the educational program and cited examples such as overcrowding, lack of technology infrastructure, inadequate plumbing and electrical systems, poor air quality and insufficient lighting, and noted that the school is not accessible to the disabled. The Commission concluded in their report that “the safety and welfare of the students and staff is seriously compromised.”
The district will be required to submit a Special Progress Report to the NEASC in April 2006, with a timeline and detailed plans for addressing the Commission’s recommendations. “We can deal with some of these issues in the short term, with the resources we have available,” said Ruopp, “but we will need the support of the community to address most of the problems.” If the Commission is not satisfied with the contents of the Special Progress Report, the school could be put on “warning” status and given another year to correct the deficiencies. If the Commission is still not satisfied with the district’s plans they could put the school on probation and eventually revoke the accreditation.
“It is uncommon for a school to lose its accreditation for facilities issues, but schools ,” said Ruopp. He told the HSBC that Beverly High School, which he says is in worse condition than Wayland High School, may lose its accreditation this month for failing to address facility issues in its 40-year old campus. It was placed on probation in 2003. Nearly all high schools in New England are accredited, including all public high schools in Massachusetts. Responding to a question from an observer, Ruopp said the loss of accreditation would cause problems for Wayland High graduates.
HSBC members asked Ruopp how much time the NEASC would give Wayland to address the recommendations, and whether it might be possible to “negotiate” for additional time. Ruopp thought it was likely that if the town could demonstrate a “good faith effort” to move forward with plans, the Commission would probably be flexible, but said they would not wait long on health and safety issues. “Code compliance issues, including ADA compliance, are a high priority,” he said.
The letter from the Commission summarizing the findings, as well as the full text of the 50-page report, is available at http://www.wayland.k12.ma.us/high_school/main_office/neasc.html.