School board OKs summer college courses for juniors, seniors

Havre Public School’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday evening to approve allowing high school juniors and seniors to take college courses at Montana State University-Northern starting this summer. The trustees passed the motion unanimously.

Havre Public Schools Superintendent Andy Carlson said the chance for high school students to earn college credits would “be a benefit to the student and family.”

The cost of the courses was discussed. Havre High School Assistant Principal Kipp Lewis said, although not exactly sure off the top of his head, the fee for a three-credit class would be about $150. A student in the auditorium chimed in and said she paid $187 for a class at Northern.

The classes available this summer will be principles of financial accounting, principles of managerial accounting, MS office, personal health and wellness, math for elementary teachers, introduction to psychology, developmental psychology and Introduction to sociology.

Also discussed was a report on the number of students leaving school and coming back. Carlson described the back and forth flow as “a strong pattern of movement.”

He said the number of students leaving and going has been increasing the last couple of years. He added taht the travel of students has been more to the east and as far south as Great Falls. He said the number is anywhere between 30 and 50 students in the district within a school year.

Carlson said the movement is disruptive for classrooms and harmful to the quality of education of the students.

When asked what could be done to counter this movement, Carlson said he didn’t know. He added the reasons it happens are usually “outside of the child’s concern.”