The Lauderdale County school district got good news recently with word that they’ve gained district-wide accreditation, a process that’s been about two years in the making.

It’s the first time the school district has sought district-wide accreditation, a lengthy and involved evaluation process through AdvancED, the accrediting arm of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

With the distinction of full accreditation, the school system will not be rated again for five years, but school officials say the preparation process for evaluation has begun already.

The school district started the accreditation process in 2011 and it involved all school personnel. Every school was required to take a reflective look at how they perform their jobs and the results they get.

Superintendent Jennifer Gray said employees were required to do a self-assessment, which she says, is a good practice in general.

“It’s always good to take a long, honest look at how you’re performing and your effectiveness in your position,” Gray said. “When the evaluation team (from AdvancED) came in and evaluated us, we realized that we weren’t very far apart in our evaluations.