By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Karly Little serves as the director of early college opportunities at Barton Community College. Little stays busy knowing there are more ways for high school students to take college credits than ever before.
Students can take classes on the Barton campus, learn from a Barton instructor who travels to a high school, take dual credits with a high school instructor that meets qualifying credentials to teach for the college or classes taught fully online.
Little said one of her goals is to hire more career technical education teachers in Barton’s partner high schools.
"Some of our instructors who go to training, are saying these high school teachers are here...let's reach out to them," said Little. "Let's see what kind of credentials they have and see if we can put our program in their school. They're teaching the same curriculum and they may have the same credentials. We want to reach out and see what we can do."
High schools in Great Bend, Hoisington, Larned, Ellinwood, Central Plains, Russell, St. John, La Crosse and many others have partnered with Barton Community College to offer college classes to students.
Barton Vice President of Instruction Elaine Simmons said offering a $50-credit-hour tuition rate for high school students and low-cost or no-cost textbook options are creating enrollment increases.
"These initiatives are paying off," said Simmons. "It takes time to network, to partner, to get things assembled, to get the word out, to have students have success and tell their friends. Moms tell other moms. We're feeling very good about the results so far."
Out of the 19 community colleges in Kansas in the 2022-2023 school year, the Kansas Board of Regents showed Barton ranked #2 in reporting increased credit hours in overall high school enrollment.