Districts strive to limit cost of college credit program

Local school officials hope to limit their districts' expenses for the new College Credit Plus program by getting teachers certified to teach the classes.

Rhodes State College and Wright State University-Lake Campus say having teachers lead the classes is the least expensive option starting next school year. Rhodes will not charge districts for classes taught by district teachers but charges $80 per credit hour for classes taught by a Rhodes State instructor in district buildings and $160 for courses students take at the college.

The Lake Campus charges $40 per credit hour for a course taught by a high school teacher, $80 for a university instructor to teach at a district school, $80 if co-taught, $100 for online courses, and $160 for a student to take a course at the Lake Campus.

The program is a new state initiative to help high school students gain college credits before graduating. Districts are responsible for the cost of those classes.

Some New Bremen teachers are qualified to teach the classes, but they will not teach the classes this year, superintendent Howard Overman said. The district will wait one year as more teachers get their credentials.

"We decided to wait until next year when the district has more time to organize CC+ options with our teachers and we look to get more teachers credentialed," he said.

The district has partnered with the Lake Campus, Rhodes, Edison Community College and the University of Northwestern Ohio for students to take courses online, on campus or as advanced placement classes, Overman said. Eight students are taking at least one class through the program, he said.

"Yes, the district will pick up the cost. (I) don't have the total cost but it will not be cheap because schools not only have to pay for each credit hour, they must pick up the textbook and supply cost," Overman said.

St. Marys City Schools have several teachers ready to teach courses and a few more are close to having the credentials, superintendent Shawn Brown said. The district is partnered with the Lake Campus and Rhodes, he said.

Fifty-four students have signed up for classes and another 11 have expressed interest, high school guidance counselor Deb Hinckley said.

Teachers who instruct one of the courses each semester will receive an additional $1,000, under the district's plan. They will earn $1,750 to teach two courses per semester and $2,250 for three courses per semester. Teachers will earn $500 for each course beyond three per semester, officials said.

Fort Recovery Village Schools is finalizing a plan with Rhodes to have district teachers lead the classes at no cost to the district.

Four teachers plan to gain credentials, superintendent Shelly Vaughn said. Two of those teachers began the process this spring, she said.

District officials are still in conversation about creating a compensation plan for credentialed teachers.

"Students want the take college classes and also remain in high school," Vaughn said. The district is also considering links with the Lake Campus and Edison, she said. Officials anticipate 61 students enrolling next year for Rhodes classes.

Minster Local Schools have also partnered with Rhodes.

Superintendent Brenda Boeke said officials prefer having Minster teachers lead the classes. District teachers were approved to teach dual-enrollment courses with Urbana University this year but are not yet credentialed with Rhodes, she said.

District official plan to consider other unnamed options, she said.

The district has about 180 student requests to participate in College Credit Plus, she said.

Marion Local Superintendent Mike Pohlman said the district has one teacher qualified to teach precalculus with Wright State University. More teachers plan to take graduate-level courses, he said.

Pohlman said the school district has partnered with Rhodes and the Lake Campus.

About 55 Marion Local students are interested in the program, he said.

Coldwater High School Principal Jason Hemmelgarn said the district does not have any teachers credentialed to teach in the program.

"We've never had the need for teachers to be credentialed for dual-enrollment before," he said.

He will meet with teachers to create a plan for them to earn the necessary credentials.

The school district has partnered with Lake Campus, he said.

Six students have turned in letters of intent for the program, guidance counselor Natalie Kanney said.

Celina High School Principal Phil Metz said no district teachers have credentials with the Lake Campus, the district's partner.

"That's something that has not even been discussed," he said. "It is something to discuss with our teachers."

He said 35 to 40 students have submitted intent forms.

Parkway High School guidance counselor Mickey McConahay said some teachers are nearly credentialed to teach classes for Northwest State Community College. The college charges $40 per credit hour for online or face-to-face classes, she said.

Twenty-two students are interested in the program.

An agreement with Lake Campus will be on Tuesday's school board meeting agenda, superintendent Greg Puthoff said.

St. Henry High School guidance counselor Betsy Armstrong said the district has no teachers credentialed. The district has agreements with Rhodes, the Lake Campus and Edison for a combination of online classes and on-campus classes.

At last count, 25 students planned to participate, she said.

The districts are still calculating the total program cost for next year. The total cost will depend upn the number of participating students, credit hour prices, textbook costs and paying district teachers.

"It's really up to the students. They can choose to go anywhere, not just to the schools that districts have partnered with," Ted Long of Edison Community College said.

Uncertainty over details prevented him from estimating how much the college would earn from the program, Long said.