Daily News Photo by CRISTIAN SIMESCU Students wait to board busess at the end of the school day Monday after the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools visited the school for accreditation.

ST. CROIX - Officials from the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools visited Central High School on Monday to tour the facility ahead of a decision on the schools' accreditation.

The school received a one-year provisional accreditation late last year and is hoping for a full, four-year accreditation if the team finds the school addressed issues identified by the commission, including widespread electrical problems and unrepaired conditions in the gymnasium and the vocational building of the 40-year-old facility.

Middle States is the accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for schools in the territory.

Central High Principal Chermaine Hobson-Johnson said the visit by the team, which included Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools President and Executive Director Henry Cram, went very well.

In addition to the tour of the campus, the team met with members of the administration, faculty and students.

Hobson-Johnson said the problems identified by the commission last year had been addressed, and what has not been completed will be by the end of the month. "They looked at the gym, walked to the vocational building, observed that the electrical system had been upgraded and were pleased with what they saw," said Hobson-Johnson.

She also said the team was pleased after talking with teachers and students at the school.

"The students were eager to talk about their school and what the school had to offer," she said.

St. Croix Superintendent of Schools Gary Molloy said the visit went smoothly but the department has to wait for the review process to be completed by the association to see if the accreditation will be extended at Central. Molloy said they should hear sometime after the commission meets in October.

Despite not being present during the tour, Molloy said he felt good about the visit. "The administration and staff is pretty upbeat," said Molloy. "The reports I've been getting are positive."

- Contact Cristian Simescu at 774-8772 or e-mail simescu@dailynews.vi.