This week, Midway Elementary School became the first of the county’s four elementary schools to earn accreditation from a well-respected, independent accrediting service.

Administrators, teachers and staff at Midway first learned Monday night that efforts during the past two years paid off when the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, or SACS, delivered the good news.

“I’m very proud of what the teachers did, because this accreditation is a reflection of their hard work in the school,” Principal Allen Martin said.

We echo Martin’s praise for his staff and faculty and extend our own applause.

Decatur-based SACS is a non-government organization that recognizes schools for not only meeting minimum standards, but also those that exceed state expectations.

Teachers and staff prepared reports, collected data and organized information for SACS officials to review. Evaluators examined the school’s safety plan, its improvement plan, teacher’s schedules and even interviewed lunchroom staff.

“This means that we’re running a pretty good school, which I already knew, but it’s good to be validated,” Martin said. “This is our first step toward becoming a National School of Excellence.”

As Milledgeville and Baldwin County officials work to attract new and emerging businesses and industry to the area, we see Midway’s successful SACS accreditation as a feather in our community’s cap.

Businesses, especially large employers, often evaluate a community’s school system when deciding where to set up shop. Midway’s achievement only will help position Baldwin County and Milledgeville as a desirable place for good, successful businesses, regardless of size.

Accreditation also opens new doors for grants and other funding for Midway.

Midway Elementary joins its sister schools in the system working toward accreditation with the Georgia Accrediting Commission, Superintendent Gene Trammell said.

“It’s just another indication of the good work that’s going on in Baldwin County Schools,” Trammell said.

We couldn’t agree more and we’re sure Trammell is especially proud of Midway as he nears the end of his 12-year tenure as Baldwin County’s schools chief.

While Midway is the first among Baldwin elementary schools to pass the rigorous SACS evaluation, Oak Hill Middle School and Baldwin High School already are SACS accredited.

Midway was praised for its dedication to targeting individual students for extra attention in their studies, and staff members who go beyond their job descriptions to help wherever they can.