The four partners received a grant to evaluate the feasibility of opening an early college high school on the Coastal Bend College Beeville campus.
The meeting will be held at the A.C. Jones High School lecture hall from 9 a.m. to noon today. It is open to the public.
Early College High School is an innovative program that allows students to attend high school and college simultaneously.
A student can obtain a high school diploma and college degree during the traditional four years that a student generally spends in high school.
“It is a fabulous opportunity for the children of Bee County and their families. This could save the families between $20,000 and $60,000 on the cost of a college education,” said Dee Dee Bernal, ECHS project director.
The ECHS program initiative is designed to address several educational issues faced by the state of Texas like the current dropout rate; low college and job readiness rates; and the rising expense of higher education. Students who earn an associates degree will make $1 million more in their lifetime than students who only have a high school diploma, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The entire community will benefit from the economic impact of a better educated workforce.
The proposed ECHS will open in August 2009 with a freshman class of 50-60 students.
Upon completion of the program, students will be ready to go to a university or they will have the technical skills and credentials to enter the workforce in high wage jobs.
Board training/workshop participants will review the ECHS committee’s proposal on how the Bee County collegiate high school will work; how it will be funded; and what impact it will have on the community as a whole.
Board members will be given an overview of the admissions process, the partnership requirements, and the timeline for implementation.
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