The board of trustees approved the submission for the program's provisional designation application at its Jan. 13 meeting.
A partnership between LISD and Austin Community College will allow students to simultaneously earn a high school diploma and either an associate degree or 60 credit hours.
The program will begin at ACC’s San Gabriel Campus with plans to remain at the ACC campus for a few years, said Chrysta Carlin, the assistant superintendent of pathways and innovation, on Dec. 16. Early college students can learn what it is like to be on a college campus and learn what on-campus resources and supports are available.
“They get to immerse themselves in the college culture right away with their peers,” Carlin said.
To apply for the tuition-free program, students will submit an application and go through an interview. If more than 125 students apply, a weighted lottery will select students.
Early college high school students are more likely to enroll in college and complete any postsecondary degree and bachelor’s degree based on studies, Clay Currier, the district’s senior director of innovative learning programs, said at the school board's Dec. 16 meeting.
Program startup costs will include $31,000 for year-one instructional materials and $66,000 for student expenses, supplies, instructional and curriculum support, marketing, professional development and office rentals. These costs are in line with other early college campuses the district visited and budgets reviewed, Currier said Dec. 16.
