LIVERMORE – The Livermore Elementary School has climbed from a low of a state-classified priority school to a high of an accredited elementary school, one of less than a dozen in the state.

“Of the accomplishments we have managed in five years, this will go down as one of the most important,” SAD 36 Superintendent Terry Despres told school directors Thursday. “It’s a great turnaround.”

Livermore Elementary School Principal Jeannine Backus and her staff have worked over the last several years to be considered for accreditation. The work paid off.

New England Association of Schools & Colleges Inc. Commission on Public Elementary and Middle Schools awarded the school full accreditation in a letter dated March 20.

The report gives the staff accolades for its accomplishments and offers guidance as to where improvements can be made in the future.

The school and its personnel were cited for many accomplishments with only one area requiring a special progress report – drop-off and pickup of students. A report due Oct. 1 has already been started, and safety recommendations are being implemented, Backus said.

The association’s visiting committee observed both morning arrival and afternoon dismissal from the elementary school.

“The unloading and loading of the buses was orderly and safe,” the commission wrote in its report. “The drop-off and pickup pattern for the students created concern among the visiting committee.”

During the morning drop-off some students were left by their parents and left to walk across the school parking lot without supervision. The committee witnessed several parents ignoring the “Do Not Enter” sign clearly posted in the bus area. The committee was concerned about the safety of students as pedestrians during those times.

At afternoon dismissal time, parents sign in at the office to announce they are picking up their child and then walk to a different location in the building to actually gather their child and leave.

“While many parents honor the sign-out system, some parents do not follow the established procedures,” the commission wrote. “The visiting committee was concerned that a child could be taken from the building by an unauthorized person. The Visiting Committee spoke with the office staff about this, and the office staff has already agreed to address this issue.”

The commission commended the school for the time and effort taken to debate and seek consensus on the core beliefs of the school while developing its mission statement. It also commended the school for the very evident school pride among faculty and students, as well as the strong parent and community support for the mission and expectations of the school and the commitment to education.

Among other items the commission also commended the school for are:

• Establishment of a curriculum that affords students many active learning opportunities.

• Implementation of student-centered instructional strategies.

• Availability of technology, both hardware and software, to support student learning and instructional strategies.

• S.E.L.F. Parent and community group, which provides financial support to enrich and augment instruction.

• Exceptionally clean and well-maintained building.

• Strong, proactive school board and superintendent.

The two other schools in the district have already or are also going to go through the accreditation process. The high school recently had an accreditation team visit the school, which will issue a similar report.