Senior Year Plus - College Courses For High School Budgets Taking Toll On School District Budgets

Glenwood Community School District Superintendent Dr. Nicole Kooiker is among a growing number of school district officials across the state voicing concerns about a popular Iowa Department Of Education program that allows high school students to take college credit classes at their local community college.

Kooiker appreciates and supports the intent of the Senior Year Plus (SYP) program and the opportunities and cost-savings it provides to high school students and their parents, but says changes need to be made in how the program is being funded and administered. Currently, the cost of those college classes, including textbooks, is the responsibility of a student’s local school district

“We love that there’s opportunities for kids. I think it’s great, but what’s happening is there’s not any equitable standing or set standard,” said Kooiker  “Community colleges, No. 1, can charge whatever they like for the various credits and the school districts are required to pay. In addition to that, they get to set how many is the cap of the credits, which we’re still working through some components of. For example, Iowa Western is 21 credits per semester.

“What we’re finding, as these college and career technical education programs expand and we’re pushing these pathways,  which are good opportunities, the funding stream is not coming with the opportunities. Public school systems aren’t getting any additional funding to pay for these things. So, where am I supposed to move money around in the budget?”

This year, 164 Glenwood Community High School students are taking college-credit classes at Iowa Western Community College. The cost to the district for the first semester of SYP courses was $254,000.

“Last year’s first semester was about $125,000. It basically doubled to $254,000 in our first semester of this year, so when we put in a budget allotment for Iowa Western courses, we figured about $250,000 for the (entire) year. We’re going to double that,” said Kooiker. “We don’t just have $250,000 sitting in our school budget that isn’t allocated into some expenditures because we’re trying to keep taxes low, we’re trying to serve kids the best that we can.”

The district is finding funds this year in other areas to offset the shortfall for SYP, including not replacing some employees who resigned last year. Kooiker noted she and other members of the administrative team are handling duties of the school improvement director. However, not filling open positions and shifting funds from other areas is not a sustainable or acceptable solution, Kooiker said.

“We try to make sure that we’re fiscally responsible and that we set a budget allotment throughout the year and we’re only going to spend so much money,” she said. “I have no control over that when we have freshmen and sophomores and of course juniors and seniors inside of our walls allowed and able to take those courses in addition to those that are dual-enrolled - for example home-schooled students that may be dual-enrolled.”

Kooiker noted that school districts are also required to pay for college-credit courses students withdraw from or fail to pass.
In addition to the cost of the courses, the district is also allocating resources for management of the SYP program as a result of increased workloads for teachers, guidance counselors, business office staff and administrators.

“Our counselor is the person who advises, researches which classes, signs them up for classes – all the management of that is our staffers,” said GCSD Director Of Technology and former GCHS guidance counselor Jedd Taylor. “I would guess our high school counselor spends at least 50% of her job doing that - that’s all just assumed. Iowa Western isn’t coming down to register these kids.

“Things can happen electronically. Once our counselor gets all their information, we send it to Iowa Western and they plug it in, but everything that leads up to that point, it’s our staff doing that.”

Taylor noted that since SYP’s inception in 2008, laws regarding the program have been loosened, allowing more students, specifically freshmen and sophomores, to participate in the program. Additionally, limits have been removed on the number of courses or credits students can take at a community college.

“More access sounds great, but it has to come back to the funding piece,” he said.

Kooiker said a sustainable solution for SYP requires addressing the imbalance between responsibility and resources. The district has compiled a list of three potential solutions.

First, the state could provide school districts with additional funding that more accurately reflects the true cost of tuition and administrative work required to implement the program.

Second, districts could be given greater control over how SYP courses are delivered, including reasonable limits on the number of courses students can take.

Third, put greater financial and administrative responsibilities on community colleges, particularly in areas where they control tuition rates, course approval and instructor certification.

Kooiker and Glenwood School Board Member Tony Winton made sure local legislators are aware of the financial impact SYP is having on school district finances during a recent legislative forum in Glenwood.

State Rep. David Sieck and State Sen. Mark Costello agreed the issue needs to be addressed by legislators.

“I’ve looked at it, I can’t believe you’re up to $254,000,” said Sieck. “That’s a lot of money for the school and if the state originally started this to kick in part of it, then probably we need to have that conversation with the education committee.”

Costello said he’s addressed the issue with the education committee chair in the Senate.

“I’m encouraged by his attitude toward it,” said Costello. “I don’t know that they really realized how successful the program would be as far as students wanting it. I’m optimistic that we’re going to be able to make some changes this year, but’s it’s not easy so we’ll have to stay on top of it.”

Kooiker said ideally, changes to the program would be in place for the start of the 2026-27 academic year.

“It would be fabulous because otherwise, how do you even know what to budget for?” she said. “We had no idea our costs were going to double this year.”