Dear EBRPSS Supporters,
The agenda for tomorrow night's school board meeting has been altered at some point. Voting will not take place on the general or special budgets; however, voting will take place on the Pathways to Bright Futures program. I want to thank Fairleigh for pointing this out.
PBF does not simply include dual enrollment but also AP and College and Technical Educational Courses (CTEC). However, the biggest cost is with the dual enrollment section. The budget submitted to the Board states,"There are a plethora of variables in this type of projection . . . Below are some considerations." A student must complete 60 hours of DE credit to earn an associate's degree and get the advertised "Free. [sic] Tuition, textbooks, transportation and other fees are covered.. . . $20,000 = average saved in tuition and fees." That breaks down to $5,000 per year, per student unless there is some bulk purchasing option that has not been mentioned in the budget. Chief Financial Officer Kelly Lopez and PBF Manager Caron Smith have both stated that each DE course will cost about $400.00. The budget to be voted on and the updated brochure given to parents and linked below do not match up.
There is only funding for one or two DE courses per year in this budget. Narcisse and C. Smith should not be promising four to six DE courses per year.
Please watch the meeting online or attend in person with a mask. I want to thank Hope for terrific work on the graphic and data on the budget. Clear communication is lacking with the Narcisse administration. It is challenging to keep up with the every changing narrative.
Kindest regards,
Mary