FARMINGTON — The Regional School Unit 9 board of directors agreed Tuesday to enter into a three-year contract to provide a Chinese school with access to the district’s high school curriculum and degree program, in a move to bring new revenue into the district.
In exchange for access to the district’s curriculum and diploma and oversight from director of curriculum Leanne Condon, Beijing #2 Middle School would pay an annual $1,000 per student fee. Much of the revenue for the program would go toward re-establishing world language classes in the district. However, Condon stressed that if the district decided the relationship was not working, it could exit the contract at any time.
“It’s a way for us to welcome others and be known,” Condon said.
The Beijing school plans to enroll 60 students in the international dual degree program each year, resulting in a $60,000 annual payout to the district. They’re expected to send the first payment next month.
The program is designed to help Chinese students earn a U.S. diploma that could help them distinguish themselves from their peers in the fierce competition for admission into U.S. colleges. The students would be taught using the Mt. Blue High School curriculum and eventually graduate with a Mt. Blue diploma if they meet the district’s standards.
As part of its monitoring responsibility, Mt. Blue High School would welcome 15 Beijing #2 students for their senior year. That will allow the district to confirm the school is adequately meeting the district’s requirements.
The first cohort would arrive for the 2019-2020 school year. Each student attending Mt. Blue would be required to pay the school’s $18,300 annual tuition fee as well as an additional $6,500 for housing, to go directly to host families, and $1,000 for insurance. In total, the district expects to net more than $450,000 in the first three years of the program.
As part of the program, Condon and director of international student programs Lisa Dalrymple would travel to China to train the school’s teachers in the district’s curriculum. Condon told the board she expected to make two three-to-four day trips per year. All costs for travel would be covered by the Waterville-based agency brokering the contract. Condon said she did not believe the district would need to hire any additional staff members for the program.
Board members hailed the deal as an innovative way to bring new revenue into the district and forge international relationships that could benefit Mt. Blue students in an increasingly connected world.
Kate McCormick — 861-9218
kmccormick@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @KateRMcCormick
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