(RALEIGH) --  AdvancEd, a national accrediting agency that is investigating Wake County's school system, has rejected demands made by school officials, who have been trying to limit the scope of the probe. The denial forces a showdown that could result in the loss of accreditation for Wake's 24 high schools.

If that scenario unfolds, it could make college admission and scholarships harder for students to obtain. Barmak Nassirian is Associate Executive Director of the American Assocation of Registrars and Admission Officers. He says proper accreditation is must for a high school.

"Accreditation is a form of third-party review and oversight. What it's intended to do is provide an assurance of quality to people who might not have first-hand knowledge of a given high school's reputation or its academic offerings."

The agency, AdvancED, is investigating Wake's schools in response to an NAACP complaint that alleged the school board was not following its own policies when it took steps to discard the county's practice of balancing schools based on students' socioeconomic backgrounds.

Some school board members have complained that AdvancED's review unfairly includes matters that shouldn't affect accreditation. The board has sent AdvancED a letter asking it to agree to some terms.