GHCA receives further accreditation

    Greater Houlton Christian Academy has been notified by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), the world’s largest Christian school organization, that it has been approved for a ten year term of accreditation. This makes the Academy the only school in the state of Maine that is accredited by both the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) as well as ACSI.
    Head of School John Bishop said that the school decided to pursue accreditation with ACSI in addition to the regional association (NEASC) because the Academy leadership wanted to ensure that the faith-based school remains faithful to its mission of offering a distinctively Christian program of education for students in Pre-K through 12th grade.
    This dual accreditation is the result of a joint application process completed recently by GHCA.
    The school worked with both accrediting associations during a years-long, comprehensive process, which culminated with a visit last fall by a team of educators who represented both associations. The Academy was notified in March that the NEASC had granted the school full accreditation. The school was granted fully-approved status by the Maine Department of Education following that announcement. ACSI then granted accreditation at its most recent meeting of its accreditation commission.
    Accreditation is important because it officially recognizes that a school is meeting certain basic educational standards.
    It makes it easier to transfer credits between schools and makes it easier for a school to apply for grants and to become eligible to sponsor organizations such as National Honor Society, for which GHCA has now applied for a charter.
    Accreditation helps students and faculty qualify more easily for various programs such as scholarships and grants.