New agreement to allow Connellsville students to take college courses
CONNELLSVILLE — Through an agreement with California University of Pennsylvania (Cal U), students in the Connellsville Area School District will be able to take college courses at a discounted rate.
The High School Early Admit Program will give students the opportunity to take courses online, or at the Cal U campus, for $252 for a three-credit course.
“It’s quite a savings for our students,” School Director Gary Wandel said at the board’s work session Monday.
According to Dr. Tammy Stern, director of curriculum, the new program is similar to the College in the High School program that was available to students several years ago.
“It’s awesome,” Stern said. “We’ve not had a college in the high school program through Cal U for a number of years. That’s why when this came out, we were excited, because this gives our students an opportunity to earn college credits at such a reduced tuition rate.”
Under the former program, the courses were approved by Cal U faculty, but they were taught by Connellsville teachers.
Through the early admit program, Cal U faculty will be teaching the courses.
Stern said she will work with high school principal Nick Bosnic in determining which courses they will offer the students in the spring semester.
The board will likely approve the agreement during its regular session on Wednesday.
Also Monday, representatives of the Connellsville Pony League requested that the board enter into a lease agreement with the league.
Mike Bruner, league president, said the league renovated Trotter Field last year and believes having a lease agreement in place would prevent the field from being damaged.
“Because we put money into renovating it, we want to make sure it doesn’t get torn up,” Bruner said. “We want to invest more money in the fields and get the fields nicer for the kids.”
The league is also requesting to build a storage shed.
Turning to other matters, the board is likely to conduct the following business at Wednesday’s meeting:
n Approve the agreement between Highlands Hospital Regional Center for Autism and the school district effective Sept. 1 through Aug. 31, 2014, as proposed.
n Approve numerous change orders for the high school renovation project totaling $132,671.
n Discuss and vote on the slate of candidates for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association officers.