NORTH ANDOVER - The high school has once again been placed on warning by a school accreditation agency despite being removed from the list last fall.

But Principal Carla Scuzzarella hopes the situation will be resolved soon.

Scuzzarella is drafting a letter to the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, asking the association to lift the warning at its Oct. 15 meeting.

She said North Andover High School was put on "warning" in June based on what educators saw in October, arguing that many of the things the association was critical of have been corrected since then.

"This leads to a lot of questions and inconsistencies," Scuzzarella said yesterday. "To be taken off and put right back on. ... We were very frustrated."

The association originally placed the high school on warning in October 2006, telling officials to reduce class sizes and find more money for teachers after a series of budget cuts.

But the agency lifted the warning in October 2007 after several appeals by former Principal Susan Nicholson and approval of a $1.65 million Proposition 21âÑ2 override.

Agency officials then visited the high school later that month.

They issued a report in March along with a long list of improvements North Andover would have to make to keep its accreditation. The report cited a need for more electives, more professional development for teachers and smaller class sizes.

Scuzzarella said she received a letter in late spring informing her the school would be placed back on warning.

"My heart wants to be off warning," she said. "I think we have done a tremendous amount of work in a short time to show we are committed. I am very hopeful."

Scuzzarella said her staff has supported a new scheduling system - set to begin in 2009 - that will allow for more electives and challenge both lower- and higher-level students. She has also hired more teachers.

"The latest report was very critical of the inability of our schedule to allow students flexibility or a comprehensive elective program," she said.

Students will be able to take marketing, accounting, business law, television production, Web design, introduction to piano and keyboard, beginning guitar and other classes| all for the first time.

The high school will also offer health and physical education classes this school year, something not done in years.

A call to the New England Association of Schools and Colleges was not returned yesterday.

School Committee member Stanley Limpert applauded the work that's been done at the Osgood Street school in the past year.

"I feel comfortable. I feel like we're headed in the right direction," he said at Monday night's School Committee meeting. "Maybe I don't care as much as I would a year ago."

Scuzzarella plans on hanging a banner at the high school that reads, "NEASC Fully Accredited Member." She wants to make sure people know the school is not in dire straits, that it still is fully accredited.

Schools are not required to make a warning from the association public, but Scuzzarella said North Andover has always wanted to be open with the public.

"We aren't in jeopardy of losing our accreditation," Scuzzarella said. "We just have some things we need to work on."