By Kevin Trevellyan – Posted: March 29, 2016
Idaho Falls School District 91 patrons will have an
opportunity next week to learn how their children can pursue a fast track
through middle and high school, while earning college credits along the way.
The district will hold an Advanced Opportunities informational
workshop at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Eagle Rock Middle School, 2020 Pancheri Drive.
“These programs help kids proceed through college courses in
high school at a much cheaper rate,” said Corrie Harris, District 91
administrative assistant for secondary education. “They can walk away from high
school with their diplomas and associate degrees.”
The state’s four Advanced Opportunities programs allow
students to earn college credits at subsidized costs. Participating students
also can graduate early from high school by taking overload courses outside of
regular school hours. Students become eligible for the programs in the seventh
grade.
The workshop is aimed at parents of sixth- through
11th-graders. State Education Representative Kasi Beorchia will speak for about
45 minutes, and then answer questions.
Part of Beorchia’s presentation will focus on changes to
Advanced Opportunities programs following the passage of House Bill 458, which
subsidizes the cost of dual enrollment.
Starting in July, public school students will each have
access to $4,125 to go toward credits for overload and dual enrollment courses
taken between seventh and 12th grade. Students also will be able to apply the
funds to exam costs.
Previously, there was a lower cap on how much funding the
state provided for Advanced Opportunities courses. High school seniors’ tuition
costs were only covered up to six credits, for example.
“Now students will have more opportunities; they’ll have a
lot more funding to utilize throughout their high school careers,” Harris said.
A credit taken through the state’s Advanced Opportunities
program costs $65, as opposed to the normal in-state university rate of $136.
“The goal is to get these students to go onto college, and
for them to utilize these programs to get there early,” Harris said. “Or to get
most of their introductory college courses done while still in high school.”
