The Cherokee County School District is preparing for an accreditation visit later this fall from educators across the Southeast.

A committee of educators from North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina will spend Nov. 9-12 visiting local schools and speaking with parents, teachers and school board members. The school district is seeking accreditation through AdvancED.

AdvancED is an international organization which represents 23,000 public and private schools. Cherokee County is among districts in 30 states and 65 countries that began using the new accreditation standards last school year.

In previous years, Cherokee County School District administrator Page McCraw said county schools went through the accreditation process separately from the school district.

"This is a five-year accreditation for the school district. It will cover all schools," said McCraw, who is overseeing the district's accreditation effort. "Accreditation is important so students can continue with their postsecondary education in programs that require regional accreditation. Students will benefit from the process because it encourages continuous improvement in schools."

McCraw will meet with the AdvancED committee chairman Sept. 16 to finalize the schedule for the district's accreditation visit. Preliminary plans call for the committee to visit eight schools and hold a separate meeting with representatives from the other county schools.

"Our accreditation visit will be based around the state strategic and school renewal plans our district updates on an annual basis," McCraw said.