Mifflinburg school, Lackawanna College considering dual enrollment deal

Justin Strawser, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·3 min read

Oct. 11—MIFFLINBURG — The Mifflinburg Area School Board is considering a dual enrollment agreement with Lackawanna College for high school students.

At Tuesday night's public meeting, Lackawanna Sunbury Center Director Philip Campbell explained the opportunities for the district's students to take advantage of the dual enrollment program and SOAR (Students Occupationally and Academically Ready). The Sunbury branch, located at the Sunbury Plaza at 1145 N. Fourth St., had its first semester starting in August 2017.

"It gives students a headstart on getting college credits before they're even done with high school," said Cambell.

Campbell said a lot of students take advantage of dual enrollment in different school districts across the Valley, including Mifflinburg students at SUN Area Technical School in New Berlin.

"I am happy to get something started with Mifflinburg if the board so wishes," said Campbell. "I would love to move forward."

Students can earn free college credits toward their associate's degree by completing their Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. Students must finish with a 2.5 GPA, pass the corresponding NOCTI exams with a competent or advanced status, and graduate high school. Depending on the program some students may qualify for as many as 15 credits, which is equivalent to a free semester of college, according to Campbell.

By completing all of those requirements and enrolling in a matching major at Lackawanna, a student can save more than $8,000 in tuition and fees and complete an associate degree in three semesters for 1.5 years, according to Campbell.

Students can also enroll to take additional classes through the dual enrollment program. In some cases, classes cost $100 per credit. In a similar example, a student can save more than $14,600 in tuition and fees and complete an associate degree in two semesters or one year, according to Campbell.

Students who participate in dual enrollment can double their college investment through a unique scholarship offer. If a person invests $1,200 into dual enrollment credits at Lackawanna, a full-time student can be awarded a $1,200 scholarship per year for up to two years. Bachelor's students can earn even more when they commit to a higher degree program, according to Campbell.

Campbell said he has been reaching out to other schools for dual enrollment opportunities.

The board also approved a series of donations made to the intermediate school library in memory of 9-year-old Joslyn Noelle Flickinger, a Mifflinburg fourth-grade student who died in August.

Camp Koala, a Mifflinburg-based nonprofit organization that hosts camps for grieving children that provided counseling services for classmates of Joslyn, donated "The Invisible String" by Patrice Karst, "Rabbityness" by Jo Empson, "The Memory Box: A Book About Grief" by Joanna Rowland and "Ellie" by Mike Wu. Aria Gessner also donated "Tear Drop Soup" by Pat Schweibert and Chuck Deklyen.

In other business, the board approved:

* The acceptance of a monetary donation in the amount of $2,500 from the 2023 Living Healthy School Grant.

* A three-year memorandum of understanding with AmeriCorps for the Foster Grandparent Program.

* A $6,240 stipend for lead maintenance employee Jason Parker.

* The hiring of Kristi Long as the food service director at a salary of $62,000; Jenna Bogovich as the guidance counselor at the middle school at a salary of $55,950; June Bergen as a middle school aide at $13.30 an hour; and Amber Furman as library media aide at the intermediate school at $12 per hour.

* A contract with Kelly Reigle, of Fredonia, N.Y., to provide virtual school psychologist services for the remainder of the 2023-24 school year.