Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dual Enrollment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mineral Point schools report rise in dual‑enrollment participation as district covers first 18 credits
Summary
The district reported increased participation across multiple dual‑enrollment pathways, detailed costs and credits earned this year, and announced a new Warhawk Dual Enrollment Academy partnership with UW‑Whitewater that administrators say will lower per‑credit costs for some students.
Miss Brunson, the district’s academic and career planning lead, told the Mineral Point Unified School District board that dual‑enrollment programs expanded this year and that the district now covers 100% of dual‑enrollment costs up to 18 credits. The report, delivered at the June regular meeting, summarized program participation, credit totals and estimated district spending.
Those figures show growth across the district’s main pathways. Brunson said about 64 students took Start College Now/CollegeUp courses (primarily through Southwest Tech), earning roughly 550 credits and costing the district just under $100,000 this year. Transcripted credit classes taught by district staff had about 34 students who earned 118 credits at no cost to the district. Early college programs at universities involved 19 students who earned 103 credits; the district expects to request the statutory 25% reimbursement on those costs, which would reimburse about $13,000. Brunson reported total dual‑enrollment participation near 95 students districtwide and emphasized that students earned substantially more credits than in prior years.
Administrators singled out several reasons for the increase: removal of the family‑reimbursement requirement (the district now pays full cost up to 18 credits), a growth in CAP and AP offerings, and targeted partnerships. Brunson explained that some pathways are more affordable; for example, classes through UW system partners typically cost less per credit than similar technical‑college offerings. She told the board the district’s agreement with UW‑Whitewater — the Warhawk Dual Enrollment Academy — charges about $110 per credit and offers cohort‑style sections taught only to high‑school students, which the district expects to move some enrollments to in order to save roughly $200 per student in select courses.
Board members pressed on capacity and equity: several trustees asked whether counseling staff can manage the increased administrative load, and Brunson acknowledged that dual‑enrollment coordination has become a major part of her role and that the district may need to consider workload and staffing adjustments. The board also discussed access to healthcare career pathways and youth‑apprenticeship opportunities; Brunson said the district runs CNA and work‑experience placements but faces barriers expanding to other health occupations because of supervision and training requirements.
The presentation included academic outcomes tied to advanced coursework: the district reported a 2025 AP average score of 3.1 (down from 3.8 in 2024), with about 79% of AP test takers earning a college‑credit‑eligible score in 2025. Brunson attributed the drop partly to the district’s first-time offering of AP Chemistry, a historically challenging exam.
Board members voiced general support for the programs and asked administration to return with options to ensure Brunson’s workload is sustainable and to provide clearer family‑facing information (a website tab and visual guides) so students and parents can navigate the multi‑step application, placement, and registration process.
Brunson closed by noting several students had earned associates degrees through these pathways and that the district will continue expanding options while monitoring cost, equity and staffing needs. The board took no formal vote on program policy during the session; fiscal approvals related to the budget occurred later in the meeting.
