Hampton City Schools reports 42,254 dual-enrollment credits, adds 65 VPCC associate-degree graduates for 2025
Loading...
Summary
District staff reported expansion of dual enrollment with Virginia Peninsula Community College, 42,254 total dual credits to date, $6.7 million in estimated family savings, and 65 students earning associate degrees this year through the VPCC ACE program.
Hampton City Schools staff told the school board on May 7, 2025, that the district’s dual enrollment partnership with Virginia Peninsula Community College (VPCC) has grown substantially: students have earned 42,254 dual-enrollment credits to date, saving families an estimated $6,712,758 in tuition costs, and 65 students in 2025 will graduate from VPCC with associate degrees before receiving their high school diplomas.
Shameka Pollard, Chief of Secondary School Leadership, presented an overview of the program’s design, participation requirements and course offerings at each of the district’s four high schools and described the VPCC Academy of the College Experience (ACE) pathways that allow students to complete associate degrees in science or social science while still in high school.
"Students who are interested in taking dual enrollment courses in high school must meet three requirements. They must be a high school junior or senior. Parents must give permission, and the student must meet all admissions requirements and prerequisites set forth by Hampton City Schools and Virginia Peninsula Community College," Pollard said. Pollard added that students with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and prerequisite coursework may be admitted even without meeting test-score requirements; the Virginia placement test (VPT) can be used as an alternate indicator of readiness.
Pollard told the board that the district has credentialed 38 teachers to teach dual-enrollment courses, with more than 10 additional teachers in the credentialing pipeline; she described course offerings across English, math, science, history and electives and noted career-technical certificates in welding, digital video and plans to add electrician certificates next year.
"To date, students in Hampton City Schools have earned 42,254 dual enrollment credits, saving our families $6,712,758," Pollard said. She reported that the district earned 9,318 credits in 2024 and has steadily increased participation since first offering courses in 2015.
Board members asked about enrollment and access; Pollard and Dr. Haynes credited principals, VPCC leadership and division staff for recruitment and for keeping program costs free to families. Board member Miss Cherry praised the program for its growth and equity impacts: "In what other universe do you have 65 kids walking across the stage to receive an associate's degree before they even get the high school diploma?" she said.
Pollard identified next steps: funding graduate coursework to credential more teachers, expanding offerings at each high school, establishing an associate degree at Bethel High School and continuing implementation of career certificates. She acknowledged VPCC president Dr. Tawanna Porter Brannon and district staff for the partnership.
The board did not take a formal vote on the presentation; staff described it as an informational report and requested continued support for teacher credentialing and program expansion.
