Stillwater Area High School leaders told the school board they will propose a set of new and revised courses that emphasize concurrent enrollment (CE) and College in the Schools (CIS) options, aiming to retain students who now leave campus for PSEO classes and to expand equitable access to college credits.

Principal Rob Bach explained that registrations for University of Minnesota and Century College last year totaled about 1,100 course seats taken off campus, up from roughly 680 the prior year, and that the high school has seen a decline in AP enrollment over the last four years. "We believe our teachers are better and if our kids stick around here in school, they're going to get a better educational experience by being exposed to our teachers," Bach said.

Rachel Stahl outlined specific proposals: AP English Language and AP Literature would transition to concurrent‑enrollment composition and literature courses with Mankato State University; a new sequence in multimedia communications would be available starting in ninth grade; an interdisciplinary American Studies course would span English and social studies; and College Algebra (CIS) and personal finance (now required by MDE) were also on the proposal list.

Stahl said Mankato has become the district's preferred partner because it will grant teachers the 18 graduate credits they need to teach CE courses at minimal cost to staff (teachers cover application and textbook fees). The district also discussed transcripted credit transferability and acknowledged that acceptance varies by receiving institution.

Board members asked about rigor and transferability. The presenters said concurrent enrollment offers transcripted college credit after successful course completion rather than relying on a single AP exam score. They acknowledged transfer acceptance is institution‑dependent but said CE and CIS credits commonly cover general education requirements.

The board discussed potential budget effects if fewer students leave for PSEO and possible staffing implications; presenters said CE fees paid to partner institutions are typically less than the full cost of losing a student's daily enrollment but vary by partner agreement. The proposal intends to stagger rollout and track course success so offerings can be adjusted if courses do not fill.