School officials hope district approves policy to test those
from unaccredited institutions
n By heather bremner Staff Writer
Gilroy – Mere weeks before her senior year Tina Maroudas learned the truth: the private school she’d attended for the past two years lacked accreditation.
And she knew that accreditation – the seal of approval from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges – is an eligibility requirement of the University of California and California State University systems.
“She had really big plans and really good grades so we were really disappointed,” said Mary Maroudas, Tina’s mother. “I was truly shocked and disappointed. I felt we were mislead.”
Mary Maroudas immediately pulled her daughter from Anchorpoint Christian Schools and enrolled her at Gilroy High School. The 17-year-old had attended Salinas’ Notre Dame High School her freshman year, so she did have some WASC approved credits.
GHS accepted many of her Anchorpoint credits after reviewing the school’s curriculum and Tina Maroudas ended up graduating in June. But because the Anchorpoint courses weren’t from an accredited school, it meant trading her dream of attending a university directly after high school for Gavilan College.
But if the Gilroy Unified School District board passes the policy Principal James Maxwell is hoping it does, then Tina Maroudas would have had to start all over or may not have even graduated.
Former GHS Principal Bob Bravo allowed students from unaccredited institutions, which may include private or home schools, to transfer in as upperclassmen.
Maxwell, who came on board in the fall of 2005, has announced the high school may no longer accept transfers from unaccredited schools. Some homeschoolers rushed to enroll their highschoolers after discovering the news.
But nothing is set in stone since the board may establish a policy.
As a public institution, GHS must accept the students but what grade they enter at is up to the school. Since schools receive accreditation through WASC and Anchorpoint, its students would not be allowed to enroll as sophomores, juniors or seniors, if the policy Maxwell would like to see established is passed.
Because no state education laws exist concerning the scenario, whether the high school accepts those students’ credits is up to the district. And the Gilroy Unified School District board will examine the issue this fall.
That’s the encouraging part of the story, said Anchorpoint Schools President Steve White. He doesn’t understand why GHS would refuse to admit high schoolers, who may be even more advanced than their public school classmates.
“What is fair is to have testing,” he said. “Otherwise, the message is, regardless of a person’s abilities they’re going to be penalized.”
White’s concern sprouted after reading a recent Dispatch article warning homeschoolers planning on transferring to Gilroy High better do so immediately. Then he began receiving calls from numerous parents saying they’re reluctant to continue sending their child to the nondenominational Christian school, if the public school transfer option is revoked.
While White and other Anchorpoint staffers say they’ve made it very clear that their school is not yet accredited, Tina and Mary Maroudas said they had no idea. She would have never sent her daughter if she’d known, Mary Maroudas said.
Sandra Cole, Anchorpoint dean of academic services, said the private school is currently in the process of receiving accreditation. A new, private school has to be up and running for three years to receive WASC approval, she said.
Anchorpoint has assembled a committee to oversee the process and in the spring, will receive an on site visit from WASC. So accreditation is in Anchorpoint’s future but White said he thinks GUSD should emulate the UC and CSU systems.
While students with all required courses from an accredited school are automatically eligible, the two entities do have special exceptions on the books for individuals hailing from unaccredited institutions. Students may qualify by receiving high scores on their college entrance exams, such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test or will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, according to UC and CSU officials.
Mary Maroudas would also like to see a similar policy enacted so students, such as her daughter, don’t end up shut-out. And so does GUSD Board Vice President Tom Bundros, who pointed out that nothing’s concrete.
“I personally would support testing,” he said.
The issue will head to the board policy subcommittee in the fall. The group will craft a recommendation and place it before the entire board, Bundros said.
