Mesquite High to pilot ASU Polytechnic dual‑credit program for select juniors and seniors

Mesquite High School will launch a small pilot allowing selected juniors and seniors to attend Arizona State University Polytechnic campus courses part of the school day under a modified Instructional Time Model.

District staff described the plan during the June 10 Gilbert Public Schools governing board public hearing on an ITM amendment. Krista Cox, identified as "our director of secondary CIA," and Marguerite Brown, assistant principal at Mesquite High School, presented program details and answered board questions.

The program will cohort a limited number of students to attend ASU Polytechnic courses about half days and return to Mesquite High for additional classes and support. "Our juniors and our seniors will be provided this opportunity, select few," Cox said, describing the multi‑campus instruction model. Brown said students will go to ASU Polytechnic for a morning meeting at 08:00 and begin university classes around 09:00, follow ASU's Monday/Wednesday/Friday and Tuesday/Thursday schedules, then return to Mesquite for lunch and at least two high school courses.

Why it matters: district staff said the pilot aims to give students early access to university coursework—students who start in junior year could earn roughly 42 university credit hours during the pathway—and to provide a new pathway that could help Mesquite High with enrollment and student outcomes. The district will track attendance and funding differently for participating students and is submitting an ITM description to the Arizona Department of Education to reflect the logistical differences from the district's Global Academy model.

Program scope and costs

District staff said ASU Preparatory and ASU Polytechnic reserved about 15 seats for the pilot and the Mesquite team accepted 10 students this spring after applications and interviews. Staff described an eligibility process that includes a student application, a 3.7 unweighted minimum GPA, and an in‑person interview with Mesquite administrators. "This isn't for every kid," Brown said, explaining the academic rigor and support expectations.

Tuition and fees: Mesquite High will cover the full tuition cost under the district's intergovernmental agreement with ASU; families will be charged $110 per course (the same charge currently used for dual enrollment). Bonnie Betts, district finance staff, said the district is charged about $600 per three‑credit course by ASU; with the $110 family contribution, the district would cover the remainder and the district will record the charges against the ADM for the participating students.

Calendar, attendance and supports

Because ASU's academic calendar and class schedules do not always align with the district calendar, staff said Universal Learning Courses (ULCs) — ASU online university courses that students can complete across the full high school year — will be used to fill time and keep students progressing when campus schedules differ. Staff said students will be transported via existing GPS/EVIT transportation routes when those align; if transportation is not available for specific out‑of‑session dates, families will be notified in advance.

District staff also said they will place a Mesquite High student success advisor on site at ASU Polytechnic in the morning to check in with students and help them navigate university systems. "She's going to be there to be helping support them, navigate this really exciting experience through ASU," Cox said. Staff described the advisor role as part of the employee's campus duties and said the district will assess whether the on‑site time can be reduced after the pilot semester.

Next steps and oversight

District leadership will submit the ITM description to the Arizona Department of Education and continue curriculum alignment work so ASU course credits count toward Mesquite graduation requirements. The presenters asked the governing board and public to raise additional questions before the board's June 24 meeting when the district will bring updates and the formal ITM amendment paperwork.

Ending: District presenters framed the pilot as an iterative effort beginning with a small cohort to work out logistics and data links, and said they will return to the board with implementation materials and regular progress reports. "We are starting small with 15 students. However, if it were up to Mesquite High's admin team...this would be every single student," Cox said, noting the pilot approach is intended to refine supports and scheduling.