By Tom Gilchrist
Staff Writer
VASSAR — “Dual-enrollment” students who take college classes while still in high school are costing the Vassar Public Schools more and more money.
The school district plans to budget $65,000 for dual-enrollment costs for the 2015-2016 fiscal year starting July 1 — more than double the $25,000 budgeted in 2014-2015, according to administrative assistant Fran Peplinski, who spoke to the Vassar Board of Education at its May 12 meeting.
“That’s where we pay for students who are taking classes for high-school credit at colleges, and they’re also getting college credit for it, too,” Peplinski said. “So that’s the dual-enrollment part. We have to pay for those kids’ classes, and the parents and the students just have to pay for the registration fee and their books.”
Board member Jeff Fackler asked if the district has any options if it pays for college classes for Vassar High students who fail the classes or simply skip class.
“We pay for the kids to enroll in college. But do we have any recourse should they decide to — like so many people I’ve spoken to, (say) ‘Yeah, the first year the kid’s in college, he screws around and wastes $20,000 or $30,000 because he didn’t do anything. The second year, after you chew his butt out, he decides to get serious and work.’ Do we have any recourse if these kids decide just to skate on this deal?”
“It’s a good question. We never used to,” said Superintendent Thomas Palmer. “It used to be if they signed up for the course and never showed up or anything, it didn’t matter. Now we do. Now the state has changed the rules a little bit, so we can go after them if they fail the course.”
Board President Randy Middlin asked if the board should pass a policy or approve a motion to address such a situation.
“We’re bringing that to you in June,” said High School/Middle School Principal Jason Kiss. “It’ll be in our new handbook. It will be a form that parents will sign that will come to you in June. Mr. (Kyle) Boros (school counselor) will be here to explain some of those changes.”
The board’s next regular meeting is June 23 at 7 p.m. in the Vassar High School auditorium.
Rising dual-enrollment costs are one reason the district projects a decrease in its fund balance, or savings, during the new fiscal year, according to Peplinski.
The savings is projected to decrease by $462,397 in the fiscal year starting July 1, leaving a projected fund balance of $334,331 at the end of that fiscal year on June 30, 2016.
Board members said the district’s savings is $796,728 heading into the new fiscal year.
Peplisnki stressed that those numbers are “simply a projection.”
“Understand that there’s still some tweaking and things to be done to this budget, and a lot of it, is my hope,” added Palmer.
“A big (cost) increase was because of the Affordable Care Act, we had to start with insurance for paraprofessionals that have a minimum of 30 hours (per week), so that’s an estimated cost of $132,000,” Peplinski said.
District leaders also project a 25-student decline in enrollment. The district receives $7,126 per pupil in state aid.