43
School board approves early-college transition
By HAROLD GWIN
YOUNGSTOWN
The city school board has given its approval to a three-year transition plan that will see Eastern Gateway Community College become a key partner in the Youngstown Early College program.
The early college was created in 2004 by the city schools and Youngstown State University to provide selected city high-school students with an opportunity to earn college credits while completing high-school requirements on the YSU campus.
The YSU Board of Trustees has voted to gradually end its involvement in the program, and the Eastern Gateway Board of Trustees has voted to take over the college role in the program over the three-year transition period.
Youngstown Early College will remain on the YSU campus during that time.
Anthony Catale, city school-board president, said Wednesday that the transition plan is just part of the change.
The school district still must negotiate tuition cost-sharing, curriculum and course offerings with Eastern Gateway, he said.
Students are being charged $290 per credit-hour at YSU, with the university and the school district essentially splitting that cost.
The tuition will drop to $96 per credit hour— Eastern Gateway’s current rate — during the transition period.
The terms of the transition plan were worked out by an ad-hoc committee made up of YSU, Eastern Gateway and city school-board representatives, and that team will remain intact to serve as an advisory board during the transition period, said Lock P. Beachum Sr., a member of the school board and the ad-hoc committee.
Superintendent Wendy Webb offered her thanks to all in the community and the school board for keeping the program alive.
The students deserve the opportunity to continue their education through the early-college program, she said.
The early college program has 250 students this year.