Two school districts valiantly thumbed their noses at the State Board of Education last week by deciding to continue a program that’s successfully sent hundreds of low-income students to college.
The program, used at Denver’s Lincoln High and at Sheridan High, is working, and state officials should have taken steps to keep it going. Instead, the state ed board last week voted to set up a roadblock to an effort that sent more than 100 high school graduates to community college this year alone.
In 2004, only 17 percent of Lincoln’s graduates went on to college. This year, some 63 percent are enrolled, most through this program that cleverly skirted the rules by redefining the status of a high school senior. Sheridan’s 21st Century Plan has helped 311 students attend Arapahoe Community College since its inception in 1998, according to a story in the Rocky Mountain News.
The board ruled that the plan ran afoul of the law by using money allocated for K-12 in violation of a 2001 rule banning so-called “fifth year” programs. Several schools had similar programs before 2001.
The task now is to look at the law. Both Denver and Sheridan say they’ll continue their programs, even though they may have to reimburse the state anywhere from $300,000 to $400,000.
State law guarantees a K-12 education to any student up to age 21. Yet principals at Sheridan and Lincoln have been allowing graduating students to delay receiving their diplomas so that they’re still classified as high-schoolers. Their college tuition then is covered by per-pupil state funding.
The Donnell-Kay Foundation, a Denver-based nonprofit that studies education issues, pulled together a group of education advocates this week to discuss how the issue and whether state rules or regulations can be changed to create a similar program in the future.
There’s some disagreement over whether state law actually prohibits these of programs. But since a majority of state board couldn’t muster the courage to challenge their own rule, it’s up to state lawmakers.
Next session, they should find a solution. If every school did this, the state would run into huge money problems. But there are some options, including partnering with community colleges. Since these kids are getting two-year degrees in one year (by taking some college work in high school), Rep. Mike Merrifield, D-Manitou Springs, believes there could actually be a money savings for the state.
Knowing that college was in their reach, hundreds of Sheridan and Lincoln students buckled down to their studies and took more challenging courses. That’s just we want in a state that has a miserable record of sending our children, especially minorities, on to college.
