The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools awarded Chilton County High School accreditation, justifying the hard work of the faculty, staff, students and parents, according to principal Greg DeJarnett.

A quality assurance review (QAR) team visited the school for several weeks to evaluate the aspects that factor into earning accreditation, including grades, safety and curriculum among other things to help provide a comprehensive overview of the school’s documentation.

The QAR interviewed DeJarnett, several teachers and students, parents and members of a leadership team headed by assistant vice principal Cynthia Stewart.

“SACS found that the students and parents feel safe at CCHS,” DeJarnett said. “They found there are a lot of people who take ownership of the school and have a lot of school pride.”

An alumnus and former basketball player at CCHS, DeJarnett understands the prestige and tradition of the school and only wants to continue that in the future. He hopes the accreditation accomplishes that and inspires future students and faculty members to move forward.

The QAR visited for two days to check all documentation and make sure the school complied with all state, federal and local educational laws and policies.

The team gave the school an exit report on the second day to present what the school needed to correct and improve upon in the future.

“The QAR team is going to recommend that CCHS receive another five years of accreditation,” DeJarnett said. “In their report, they asked us to departmentalize things within the curriculum we’ve already started putting in place.”

DeJarnett commended the faculty, students and parents.

“The morale at the school is very high after the process,” he said. “It was truly a team effort.”

He singled out Stewart for playing a major role in having the school prepared for SACS’ visit. She was the facilitator for the school throughout the evaluation process, which meant organizing standards assessment reports from every department throughout the school.

“My faculty and staff have done a great job to earn this achievement,” Stewart said. “It’s definitely a reward for all stakeholders involved, students, faculty and parents alike.”

Stewart, who also teaches a public speaking course, said the school will continue to challenge itself to reach its fullest potential.