By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
Burlington High School will continue to offer courses for college credit to students – and now there will be a chance for students to be reimbursed for those classes.
By a 2-1 vote Monday night, the Burlington Area School District School Board Curriculum Committee voted to forward a recommendation to the full board to pay up to $50,000 toward students seeking college course credit.
The amount can be reviewed from year to year, and at the request of Karcher Middle School Principal Kill Oelslager, students must pass the course in order to be reimbursed.
Currently, students at BHS – or any grade level – can take a number of college courses offered through the CAPP program via the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, and the PIE program through UW–Whitewater. The courses are taught by BHS staff at the high school.
The courses are offered at a reduced price through a state program, meaning students pay just $90 per credit – or $270 per three-credit course. The normal cost for a three-credit course is about $950 on campus.
Students have an opportunity to take advanced public speaking, accounting, broadcasting, filmmaking, advanced filmmaking, AP English and health and wellness through the two options.
However, not all students are taking the class for credit. Also, there is a difference between these course options and the youth options program, the latter of which gives students a chance to attend post-secondary institutions at the district’s expense.
Course options makes college courses available at the high school. The third program for advanced college credit are the various advanced placement classes at the high school level, in which students must pass a test to earn college credit.
While the majority of those in attendance Monday night said course options is another good route for students – BHS Principal Eric Burling said, “It ties into our mission of college and career readiness” – there was one voice of dissent.
School Board Member Phil Ketterhagen said students have a variety of educational paths through youth options and the AP courses, and that the district has not paid for course options until the last two years.
He also said there is generally leftover money from the amount budgeted for youth options, and feels there would also be money left from course options.
That money, he said, goes back into the general fund with no board discretion to how it is used.
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