By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Buhler USD 313 is in the midst of its accreditation process this spring.
"In April, we'll have an Outside Visitation Team, composed of three educators from around the state that will come in and look at some of the progress we've made with school improvement and different things with redesign that we've been doing," said USD 313 Superintendent Mike Berblinger. "They'll take a look at that and then they'll make a recommendation to the ARC, the Accreditation Review Council. They'll make a determination to the State Board whether the district is accredited or not."
The decision is made above a building level.
"It's a system's accreditation," Berblinger said. "They're really looking at the entire system. It's a big year for us and we'll have a lot to do between now and April."
Integrating buildings that are going through redesign with those that have not yet is one of the challenges with this type of accreditation.
"Each school can do things, as long as its connected to the goals and the aspirations of the district," Berblinger said. "They have to look at what they can do in their individual building, but it needs to be connected with what the district is doing for improvement."
Assuming accreditation is maintained, the five-year cycle will start over after this year.