Hartnell, King City Status in Jeopardy: JC on Probation; High School’s Accreditation in Doubt

By Claudia Melendez Salinas, The Monterey County Herald, Calif.

Jun. 30–Hartnell College has been placed on probation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and could be at risk of losing its accreditation if recommended changes are not swiftly put in place.

Officials from King City Joint Union High School District said Friday that they received word that accreditation at King City High School may be in jeopardy.

In a letter faxed to the Salinas community college Friday, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges issued a stern warning for the college. The letter was received after months of internal and external evaluations that included a four-day site visit in March. The letter arrived on campus on the final day for Superintendent Ed Valeau, who is retiring.

“The commission notes that several deficiencies at the college have the potential to significantly and negatively affect the long term ability of Hartnell College to carry out its educational mission,” Barbara Beno, president of the commission, wrote in the letter. “Some of these issues are long-standing deficiencies and have been previously identified by teams visiting the college over the past decade and more.”

A college or university is placed on probation when the institution “deviates significantly” from the commission’s eligibility criteria, or fails to implement actions it imposes.

Interim Superintendent Phoebe Helm called an emergency meeting to discuss the report and then phoned trustees with the information.

“The important thing is that everyone has committed to work together to fix this,” she said Friday. “It’s important for the public to know that accreditation is intact at this point.”

New superintendent|

In King City, news of the critical accreditation status was received two days after the school board hired a new superintendent, Tom Michaelson.

In a written statement, Michaelson said his office hadn’t received official notification from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. But he said he is “currently investigating” the news and is “looking at steps to remedy the situation as quickly as possible.”

Michaelson was selected as the district’s new superintendent Wednesday. He comes to King City from the Esparto Unified School District, where he has been superintendent for the past six years.

A WASC representative declined to comment on the status of the high school, but said that 30 days after a report was sent to the district the association could release the school’s status, said David Brown, WASC executive director. The school’s status should be made available to the public by the end of July, Brown said.

Brown said it was the district and school’s responsibility to explain King City High’s status to parents and students.

King City High School was not listed Friday on the association’s Web site list of accredited schools in Monterey County. Brown said the de-listing “may be a bit premature on our part.”

School board member Ron Riehl said no one had heard definitively from the association about the high school’s status when he went to check at the district’s offices Friday. But the possibility was worrisome, Riehl said.

Riehl said he anticipated parents and others would raise their concerns at an unrelated board meeting scheduled late Friday, but wasn’t sure what feedback the board could give without definite information from the association.

Brown said he spent part of the day e-mailing parents who were concerned about their school.

“This really shouldn’t be cause for heavy concern,” Brown said.

A school’s accreditation is based on several factors, including goals and objectives and whether those are being met; appropriateness of the school’s stated purpose; and effectiveness of a school’s educational program and services, according to the association’s Web site.

If King City High is no longer accredited, administrators can appeal the process and reapply for accreditation.

“We don’t want to speculate and make things more confused than they already are,” said interim superintendent Jeanne Howland. “We want to have all the specifics and Dr. Michaelson doesn’t start until the 30th of July.”

Howland said if the status changes, a statement will be posted on the school’s Web site and letters will be sent home.

Year of strife|

At Hartnell, news of the probationary status capped a turbulent year for the college, which saw its first teacher strike and the retirement of Valeau after 12 years.

The accreditation process takes place every six years and is conducted by a team of volunteer educators.

During its site visit in March, the accreditation team chastised the college community for the rift widening between faculty and the administration, as evidenced by the strike.

The team noted it was troubled by the college’s failure to resolve three recommendations given in 2000. The recommendation to improve its governance has been a sticking point at the college since the mid-1990s.

The college was told to file progress reports on Oct. 15 and on March 15 that show significant steps have been taking to address the commissions’ concerns.

The first report, which will be followed by a site visit, will need to demonstrate that members of the board of trustees have completed an ethics policy that spells out what sanctions would be taken if they engage in unethical conduct.

The report is “disappointing,” said Trustee Steve McShane.

“I’m surprised that the commission came down so heavy handed. We have our work cut out for us and we’re ready to bring about change,” he said.

Proof of the board’s commitment to change is its unanimous vote to hire Helm as interim superintendent, McShane said.

“This board is more committed and more energized than I’ve ever seen,” he said. “We’re now at a point of great change and opportunity.”

The board has already scheduled meetings July 21 and July 27 to address the recommendations, college officials said.

“As chair of the board of trustees, I am fully committed to working to resolve these issues and I am confident that our board will come together in this endeavor,” Aaron Johnson, president of the board of trustees, said in a statement.

Biology instructor and newly elected faculty union president Ann Wright said she was committed to bring the faculty on board to resolve these issues.

“One thing we have learned is just how much Hartnell has meant to us and to this community,” she said in a statement. “We are committed to being more involved in the life of this college and we have already started the work of getting some of these things done.”

Although Hartnell’s accreditation continues during its probation period, it will not be reaffirmed until the conditions of probation are fixed. Beno wrote that under U.S. Department of Education regulations, institutions under sanction are expected to fix deficiencies within two years or the commission must take action to terminate accreditation.

Staff writers Dania Akkad and Clarissa Aljentera contributed to this report.

Claudia Melendez Salinas can be reached at 753-6755 or cmelendez@montereyherald.com.

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Monterey County Herald, Calif.

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