Cyndi Loza

It was difficult for Hug High School Principal Andrew Kelley to contain his excitement Monday when he described the school’s accomplishment in meeting the standards of No Child Left Behind for the 2007-08 school year.

“As principal, it’s super exiting news,” Kelley said. “We’re the first high school in Nevada history to ever have been so deep into No Child Left Behind sanctions and work our way out.”

Last month, Superintendent Paul Dugan recommended new designations for schools in the district based on guidelines under the federal and state law that require the school district to report annually how well schools met the standards for adequate yearly progress (AYP).

After years of falling below the standards, Hug was taken off the “in need of improvement” designation for successfully meeting adequate yearly progress for the second year in a row.

“The most exciting thing for me is that the kids that live in the Hug zone can be proud of the school they belong to and know that it’s no longer labeled a failing school by the federal and state government,” said Kelley. “I hope it continues to show people that kids that attend Hug High are great kids, the teachers that work here are good teachers and we’ve created a great school for kids to attend.”

Under the sanctions for failing schools, Hug officials in the past have sent letters to parents notifying their school was failing, worked and revised school success improvement plans and worked with appointed external team facilitators.

“They definitely have a reason to feel good about what they’re doing,” Paul LaMarca, an assistant superintendent. “Clearly, they have been working hard to address deficiencies and I think anyone would have to assume the fact that they have made AYP two years in a row is evidence they have at least begun to address these needs.”