On Thursday, August 30th, OSU, LBCC, and Lebanon High School signed a historic agreement to create an Early College option at LHS. The press and media covered the event. It was a great moment for us as a district. Early College is an innovative program that creates an articulated pathway of courses and real incentives (including automatic admission and scholarships) for high school students into the four year university system. The state of Oregon has very few Early College programs. We are one of the first. Through our agreement, every year OSU will provide around $100,000 worth of scholarships to qualified Lebanon students. Amazing.
For several years, our Beyond LHS program has beaten a pathway to college opportunities for our students at the community college level. This new Early College program is simply an extension of that thinking. Lebanon Community School district has more students in 5th and 6th year college programs than any district in the state. We believe it is our responsibility to remove any and all obstacles that may prevent students from obtaining a college degree, and sometimes the biggest obstacle is simply exposure, expectation, and a little support. We work hard at creating those opportunities and providing that support.
It is our hope that the Early College Option at LHS will create new pathways and opportunities for students to attain college admission and succeed once they are in college. It is another bold step in the quest toward our one thing...degree completion for our students.
