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Fountain Hills board approves Accelerate ASU program to offer college credits locally
Summary
The Fountain Hills Unified School Board voted to approve an Accelerate ASU program (branded locally as Fountain Hills University) to let students earn ASU credits on campus with teacher support; initial seed funding and district commitments were discussed and the board approved the program.
The Fountain Hills Unified School Board on Wednesday approved a local Accelerate ASU program that will let high school students earn Arizona State University credits while taking courses on district campuses.
Dr. Jay, the district superintendent, told the board the model would place students in teacher-supervised sections labeled locally as Fountain Hills University, with high school teachers supporting students through 12-week courses while ASU provides the curriculum and credit. "If they don't do well in it or they don't want it on their transcript, they don't have to put it on their ASU transcript," Dr. Jay said, describing flexibility for students.
District leaders said the courses transfer within ASU and are accepted by other Arizona universities that recognize ASU credits; labs are adapted for local classrooms using household items when needed. The program would use an application process for student enrollment; the district would subsidize costs to limit family payments and require parents to assume the fee if a student fails and must repeat a course.
Dr. Jay said the district has identified $17,000 in Title IV grant funding for the program's first year and estimated an ongoing cost of about $30,000 annually to maintain the program. "We can fund it if we get no additional assistance," he said, adding he would seek donors and foundation support.
Board members asked how the program would affect Advanced Placement and dual‑enrollment opportunities. Dr. Jay said most Accelerate ASU courses are entry-level and should not draw students away from AP offerings; he called the program a "filler" for students who cannot fit needed classes into their schedules while providing a higher-level alternative to lower‑tier online options.
Board members also discussed logistics such as scheduling, teacher workload, and how the district would handle students who take classes off campus; Dr. Jay said the district intends to deliver as many sections on-site as possible and that principals could grant limited extensions when students face exceptional circumstances.
The board moved to approve the Accelerate ASU (Fountain Hills University) program; the motion carried.
The district expects to monitor enrollment, course quality and fiscal impacts during the program's first year and return to the board with updates if adjustments are needed.
