Dual credit program helps students

By BRANDI SPELBRING

Salem Community High School (SCHS) Principal Brad Detering reported to the board of education on Tuesday night about a way that students may be able to “knock out a semester, or even two, of college while still in high school.”

According to Detering, the expansion of dual credit classes through Kaskaskia College (KC) will enable students to save time and money by finishing first-year general college course work during their high school careers.

“We want to make students and parents aware of the dual credit option and the cost savings for the district. The benefits are not well known,” Detering remarked.

SCHS has been working closely with KC to expand the dual credit option. Business, science, and vocational courses are already offered at SCHS, but Detering would like to see the dual credit option expanded to English, math, and psychology fields by the 2007-2008 school year. Expanding the options will give students an opportunity to start earning college credit sooner, which will transfer to a college or university. In turn, this would help to wipe out some future tuition costs.

Detering stressed that the classes are beneficial no matter which college or university a student may decide to attend. The credits will transfer to all colleges, not just KC. Although some classes will only transfer as electives, the benefit remains. If Math 101 will not transfer as a parallel Math 101, it will count as a math elective towards college graduation, which is still worthwhile.

Another curriculum issue under discussion was the serious statewide delay of last year’s Prairie State Assessment Tests, which will not be in until January or February. The delay is due to the testing company being switched, said Detering.

“Normally, the test results are in during late summer or early fall. We have the results when school starts and they are usually discussed at our opening day workshop,” explained Detering.

According to Detering, the delay has serious effects on the students in preparation for college. The results of the tests help teachers assess weaknesses in their classes, and where emphasis should be placed to help students.

In money matters, board member Charlie Raglin was able to get some answers to the tax disbursement situation the board has been upset about. Raglin decided to approach the board during the November meeting after discovering at a conference that most counties do not receive their taxes so late in the year. Many of them receive their taxes as early as July, while SCHS waited until late November for their disbursement, creating a problem with funding for the school. Raglin reported he was told the delay was caused due to the lack of help in the assessor’s office.

He was also informed the board can request for the Marion County Board to pass a resolution which would make taxes due much earlier in the year, by sending out tax statements at the beginning of July.

In other business:

• The semester has come to an end, with semester exams on Wednesday and Thursday. Students will be on holiday break beginning Thursday, at 2:15 p.m., until January 4.

• In employment matters, the resignation as head boys’ golf coach by Assistant Principal John Boles was accepted. Denise Brindell was hired, with certification pending, as the new girls’ softball coach. Sam Alli was hired as the assistant track coach.

• The 2006 tax levy hearing was held, with no comments from the public. The levy passed at $2,960,194, a 6.1561 percent increase over the previous year.