Montrose adds classes to dual enrollment offerings

Montrose Area students will have the opportunity to gain even more college credits before they graduate from high school.

The district currently has dual enrollment agreements in place with Lackawanna College and Keystone College but Principal Eric Powers told the board during Monday night’s work session that he is looking to add more.

Powers said at least five new courses would be offered as dual enrollment classes through Keystone College when school starts this fall: AP US Government, AP Language and Composition; Trigonometry and Advanced Math, Advanced Accounting and AP Calculus.

He’s also looking at another five classes already offered at the high school that have the potential to be approved for students taking them to earn college credits.

Scholarships for dual enrollment courses are available to offset costs of the courses for students in need. The cost generally runs about $100 per credit.

“It’s a great opportunity to build credits at a deep discount,” Powers said.

The principal also said he was working with Lackawanna College on a couple of different possible offerings, and added he would like to rekindle the dual enrollment program with Luzerne County Community College.

Superintendent Chris McComb said the district’s football co-op sponsorship that includes students from Mountain View would be ending. Currently, only one Mountain View student is on the roster.

Mountain View players were added to the Montrose-Elk Lake co-sponsored team last year.

McComb explained that every two years the number of eligible students had to be submitted to PIAA so schools could be placed in the proper class bracket.

McComb said he had spoken with Mountain View Superintendent Karen Voigt regarding his concerns and a move to discontinue the agreement will placed on the Mountain View school board agenda in September.

McComb also said there are no players from Mountain View coming up through the junior football program.

Powers added that the distance of schools from one another was one of the biggest hurdles in sports co-op programs.

McComb said the change would not affect the football co-op with Elk Lake in any way.

Over the school break, McComb said the Summer Lunch Box program was launched at Choconut Valley Elementary. He said he was contacted about the program just after school ended. Even so, three sessions were held and nearly 170 students were served.

The grassroots effort Summer Lunch Box program first started locally in Hop Bottom, serving students from the Mountain View district.

McComb said the program will continue next summer and will also be rolled out at Lathrop Street Elementary in Montrose.

The board approved a two-year professional services agreement with Trehab for the implementation of a Social Emotional Learning curriculum program for all elementary students beginning with this school year and remaining in effect until the end of the 2020-21 term.

The district was one of only two districts in northeast Pennsylvania to receive the grant which will be used to fund the program. McComb said a person from Trehab will act as the program provider.

Social Emotional Learning focuses on teaching resiliency, self-management, decision-making and goal-setting, self and social awareness, as well as relationship skills.

The board accepted, with regret, the resignation of two employees: English teacher Katie Fischer, effective Aug. 20; and custodian Robert McKinney. for the purpose of retirement, effective Dec. 31.

Kristin Evans was hired as a full-time English Language Arts teacher at the Jr-Sr High School.

Heather Winn will transfer from an 8th grade English position to 9th grade English and Journalism.

The board has changed the location of the September meeting from Choconut Valley to the Jr-Sr High School auditorium for public informational session regarding possible changes in 2020 will be held Monday, Sept. 9, at 5:30 p.m.; followed by the board work session at 7 p.m., immediately followed by the board business meeting.