JHS Earns Renewal Of Accreditation

Principal Gerald Foley of is scheduled to announce that the high school has earned a renewal of its accreditation by the New England Association of School and Colleges at tonight's school committee meeting, set to start at 7 p.m. at .

(The attached .pdf document is the agenda for tonight's meeting.)

During an interview before the meeting, Supt. Dr. Bernard DiLullo confirmed that Foley would be announcing the NEASC decision and "going through the specifics" of the agency's report. An evaluation group from NEASC visited the high school last October to review its progress.

In 2000, NEASC placed the local high school on probation for failing to meet the agency's standards. Tonight's expected announcement comes nearly five years to the day — March 27, 2006 — since the high school regained its full accreditation standing.

The school board will also be considering a resolution opposing Rhode Island House bill 2011-H5961. DiLullo explained that the bill would impose binding arbitration on school districts and teachers unions who did not reach contract agreements within specified timeframes.

"You want to be able to come to a consensus, and come to it amicably, and not have somebody make the decision for you," DiLullo said prior to the meeting.

Other items on tonight’s agenda:

• A vote on approving a payment of $6,975 to the Rhode Island Association of School Committees;
• A student-led proposal for a Law Academy at Johnston High School;
• A measure to award a contract to the G.J. Sales Company for lockers at Thornton Elementary School.

Watch JohnstonPatch later tonight for a News Brief from the meeting, and full coverage tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.

Additional reporting for this article provided by Editor Joe Hutnak.