Board appears poised to eliminate International Baccalaureate program

BRISTOL, Va. – Clemency for the International Baccalaureate program was apparently short-lived.

Less than seven months after retaining the academically challenging program at Virginia High School, the city School Board now appears poised to eliminate it. Monday’s meeting agenda includes a request to reduce the program’s scope next year and discontinue it for the 2011-12 academic year.

“It’s coming up now because we have to make a decision by December, whether we’re going to stay in this program,” board Chairwoman Virginia Goodson said in a phone interview with the Herald Courier.

“This comes up every year in December because that’s when we have to pay our dues to be in the program. But we talked about [eliminating] it last year and I still don’t think we’ve seen the interest in the program that we would like to see,” Goodson said.

Low enrollment and cost containment appear to be driving the request.

“The 2010 graduating class has two students (both tuition) who are working toward earning an IB diploma,” according to a memo contained in the board’s information packet. “There is one student who has declared the intent to earn a full IB diploma in 2011.”

Virginia High currently offers 14 IB classes, which have an average attendance of 6.4 students. A total of 22 seniors and 12 juniors are enrolled in any IB classes, according to the memo.

Goodson said she hasn’t yet read the memo, because she’s been out of town, and couldn’t comment on the specifics.

Students can take individual IB classes or commit to attain an IB diploma. About 1,000 U.S. schools and 2,700 worldwide offer the program, which emphasizes lifelong learning.

“The International Baccalaureate curriculum is the finest curriculum you can get in a public school setting. It is on par with education at the top prep schools in the country – and we’ve got it here in Bristol,” said Jerry Goodpasture, a community activist and mother of three IB program graduates. “This would be a giant step backward.”

Sixty-five other Virginia schools – mostly in metropolitan areas – offer the IB program with Roanoke and Salem the closest to this region. Only 15 Tennessee schools offer IB, including Science Hill in Johnson City.

Back in May, Bristol school leaders opted to preserve IB – amid a turbulent budget cycle that included $1.6 million in reductions. That decision came after dozens of parents, and former and current IB students spoke in support of the program during a series of budget meetings.

Parent and proponent Beth Rhinehart said Friday she hopes the board will retain the program.

“I have high expectations our school board will recognize the value of this program and not make a foolish decision to get rid of it,” Rhinehart said. “It’s really not a budget issue. I don’t think it really is.”
Cutting the program would save about $115,000 for 2010-11 and about $105,000 the following year, according to the memo.

Costs associated with offering the IB program include a $9,600 annual affiliation fee, registration and testing fees for each student enrolled and each test administered, plus training sessions for teachers, materials and supplies.

Student registration and testing fees are expected to top $12,000 and annual training typically costs between $10,000 and $15,000. Materials and supplies for the classes have cost about $14,000 a year, for the past six years.

“The 14 classes are taught by veteran teachers,” according to the memo. “The salaries plus benefits that those teachers receive would be approximately $200,000 [annually].”

The memo, however, proposes eliminating only one teaching position in 2011-12.

The memo outlines two options – continuing the program with no changes or discontinuing the program after allowing the lone junior enrolled in the IB diploma program to graduate.

The memo also suggests restructuring the school’s curriculum “to add more AP [advanced placement], dual enrollment and online advanced placement courses.”Goodson has requested information about cost and enrollment for those other programs, so board members can see the comparisons.

Monday’s meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., in the Virginia Middle School library, 501 Piedmont Ave.

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