How does IB differ from other college prep options offered in the tri-county area, such as Advanced Placement (AP), Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO), and Dual-Enrollment?

Students in the tri-county area may pursue college prep classes in International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, post-secondary, or dual-enrollment. What makes IB unique is that students are challenged in all six areas of the curriculum while using critical thinking skills to consider the relationship between subject areas, rather than the pursuit of a single area of study. The study of foreign language, theory of learning, and the incorporation of international perspectives help to create well-informed learners, while the service learning component helps to assure that IB students are involved and engaged in the world and community around them. This attention to the education of the whole student results in a type of learner that colleges eagerly recruit and a future employee who is ready for the challenges of the global workplace.

More: See Choosing the Right College-Prep Fit

How is the cost justified to provide this service to approximately 50 students each year?

At approximately $9,100 per pupil, our cost to educate 50 students in the program is very similar to the per pupil costs our partner districts incur. A majority portion of this cost is met through tuition charges paid  by the students’ home districts. Since a student’s home district’s costs are not reduced proportionately to the small number of students that leave, it is not feasible to change the full amount back to the district. We cannot make up this difference through levies or other taxes, therefore it is necessary to approach the business community.

It is important that the academy is not an educational option reserved for a few elite students, but rather is an elite caliber education for all interested students. We are able to provide the same rigorous college-prep options to families from both ends of the socioeconomic scale as well as for students from districts of all sizes. This is an important part of serving students from throughout the tri-county area who have the goal of college success.

What are the advantages to businesses?

Beyond the benefit to this more limited group of students, we believe that there are significant community benefits. Most notably, this is an investment in an option that creates a strong selling point to businesses and/or employees looking to locate in the area. Not only is the International Baccalaureate a standard of education recognized worldwide, it is an urban-living benefit that we are able to offer in our rural, family-friendly community. The program speaks highly of the overall commitment to educational excellence in the tri-county region.