It was a banner year for Mathews County Schools, and as if to drive home the point, Superintendent of Schools Dr. David J. Holleran unfurled banners proclaiming that all three county schools—Mathews High School, Thomas Hunter Middle School and Lee-Jackson Elementary School—are fully accredited by the state for 2013-2014.

Holleran presented the banners to the school principals during Tuesday’s school board meeting, which was held in the MHS Media Center. Mathews is one of only 36 fully accredited school divisions in the commonwealth this year. Other divisions in the region receiving full accreditation include Middlesex, West Point, Williamsburg-James City County and Poquoson schools.

The number of fully accredited divisions dropped from 87 (out of a total of 132) the previous year as a consequence of new rigorous reading, writing and science Standards of Learning tests during 2012-2013, as well as a second year of results from more challenging mathematics assess...