Accreditation process continues at Bingham Academy

Students in a Blackfoot charter school who transfer out, may have to repeat a year of school due to accreditation process continuing.

Bingham Academy administrators said they are in the process of accreditation, but they have been for two years. That means core credits earned by students in that first year won’t be counted toward their diploma by the state if they leave the school before finishing their high school career.

Mark Fisk, head teacher at Bingham Academy, said, “In order for them to have something to assess. So we have to be in existence long enough and work as a staff and a faculty long enough to put together a package they can actually assess.”

According to the Idaho State Department of Education, students who complete credits at an unaccredited school will not receive core credit for their diploma.

If the school gets the accreditation, are the units retrocative? Will the students classes from last year be applicable? Alan Reed, Chairman of the Idaho Public Charter School Commission says to his knowledge, no, it is not. However, if the student attends the charter school for their entire high school career when accreditation occurs, the core credits may count. According to the Commission, the sophomores currently enrolled will need to graduate from the Bingham Academy after accreditation occurs.

A problem arises if a current student decides to transfer back into the public school system or leave the area.

The Assistant Superintendent of the Blackfoot School District 55 says the district has the option to honor the classes taken in a charter school that isn’t accredited if a student transfers. But those classes can only to applied to elective credits. Not core credits, like Math, English, Science and Social Studies. Those classes must be taken at an accredited school to apply toward a degree.Each district has its own number of electives, anywhere from 12-17 credits. The students at Bingham Academy can apply last years classes to electives if the school district allows it. It’s up to each school district.But they will not apply to core requirements.

“As a new high school, we are in the process of accreditation, which is a two-year long process. We began that even before the school opened,” Fisk said. “But primarily when the school opened, which you can imagine takes time.”

Students from Bingham Academy who have transferred back to public school have the option to either retake the entire grade or attempt to test out of classes.
Bingham Academy is up for an accreditation review on Sept. 17. If the school passes students will get credit for classes taken this school year.