Silver Schools and WNMU say new hybrid advising, donor support expanded dual‑enrollment access

Silver Consolidated Schools administrators and partners at Western New Mexico University told the school board on Oct. 21 that changes made over the last three years have increased students’ access to college courses while easing administrative hurdles.

“When she needs something from me, she picks up the phone. When I need something from her, I pick up the phone,” said Cindy Barris, associate superintendent for enrollment, describing the district’s relationship with Western. Barris and Jessica Enriquez of Western outlined a set of changes intended to reduce paperwork and support students through registration.

Under the new process, university and district application forms were combined into a single electronic workflow, signatures are collected digitally, and Western holds advising office hours on high‑school campuses so students and parents can complete enrollments in one sitting. Barris said the system sends automatic reminders and improves tracking of students who otherwise lose forms or whose parents cannot be reached.

Western also has piloted hybrid classes that keep instruction on the high‑school campus while Western faculty deliver curriculum remotely and local teachers serve as certified mentors. “We’re keeping the classes on your campus, but our instructors are teaching those courses with mentors at your high school,” Jessica Enriquez said, adding that the model was used this year for psychology and English.

Board members pressed presenters on cost changes. Enriquez said an online undergraduate course at Western is roughly $30 per credit hour — about $90 for a typical three‑credit class — and noted separate lab fees for trade courses. Barris said some lab fees for welding and electrical have been billed at $1.25 per credit hour; both speakers warned costs have risen and that the district covers many instructional materials that otherwise would fall to students.

Barris said the district uses a mix of NextGen and Carl Perkins funds and relies on community support to limit out‑of‑pocket costs. “We would not be able to do what we’re doing without the support of Freeport,” she said, adding that the district stepped in with additional funding in a recent year to cover almost all dual‑credit fees.

Board members and presenters also discussed how dual enrollment interacts with AP and master‑schedule constraints. Barris said counselors and students now talk through long‑term degree plans so families can pick the best option for students’ postsecondary goals. The district noted hybrid and campus‑based options help students without parental support at home by providing in‑class mentors and early academic alerts when a student’s course activity drops.

The board did not take action on the program at the meeting; presenters said they plan to continue the hybrid pilot and to seek ways to reduce administrative friction and textbook access issues.

The district will report back with implementation updates and any budget impacts as part of routine program reporting.