Longview Independent School District and Kilgore College are thrilled to announce the continuation and expansion of their collaborative dual credit program under the newly enacted House Bill 8.
Dr. Brenda Kays, KC President, and Dr. James Wilcox, LISD Superintendent, officially signed a dual credit memorandum of understanding (MOU) Oct. 5 at the Longview High School Culinary Arts Bistro.
The MOU signing was part of an LHS Career and Technical Education Showcase, featuring Culinary Arts, Health Science, Agriculture, Cosmetology, Welding, Criminal Justice, Automotive Technology and Process Technology.
The dual credit partnership between KC and LISD aims to provide increased educational opportunities and cost-effective pathways for high school students to earn college credit.
“Effective immediately, HB 8 brings significant changes to the tuition rates for dual credit students. Students enrolled in public schools – who are officially certified by the state of Texas as free and reduced lunch recipients – will now receive dual credit courses tuition-free,” Kays said. “This truly is a gamechanger for high school students, especially those who might have not taken dual credit classes previously because of financial reasons.”
For other students at public schools, the tuition rate will be $55 per credit hour, regardless of residence within KC’s taxing district, making education more accessible for all.
“We are delighted to enhance our collaboration with Kilgore College and provide greater educational opportunities for our students,” Wilcox said. “The new HB 8 allows us to make college-level education more accessible and affordable for all our students, paving the way for their future success.”
Dual credit courses in Agriculture at LISD are new this year due to the opportunities provided through HB-8 — which will greatly increase student engagement because LHS has the fifth-largest Future Farmers of America (FFA) program in Texas.
The Longview High School FFA program also celebrated its 75th anniversary at the event with an official ceremony after the MOU signing.
Additionally, KC and LISD are exploring options and planning for new dual-credit programs that are offered through both institutions. Programs being considered are HVAC, Education and Training, Accounting, Business, Plumbing, Graphic Design and AV Technology.
Longview ISD and KC are committed to supporting students’ educational journeys and fostering a prosperous future for the youth of East Texas.
According to LISD officials, the traditional academic dual credit classes that are most popular among LHS students offered from KC are Speech, English 1301 and Federal Government/Economics – while the most popular CTE programs are Nursing, Culinary Arts and Floral Design.
For more information on dual credit classes at KC, visit www.kilgore.edu/dual-credit.