Early College High School Week: MC and MISD — Partners for Academic Success

Midland organizations help to fund accelerated high school program on the MC campus

By Rebecca Bell
Dean of Community Relations and Special Events

In the fall of 2009, MC joined forces with the Midland Independent School District (MISD) in a bold venture based on the principle that academic rigor, combined with the opportunity to save time and money, is a powerful motivator for students to work hard and meet serious intellectual challenges. The result was the formation of Early College High School (ECHS) at Midland College. Students in the program attend high school and college classes on the MC campus. The rigorous program compresses the time it takes to complete a high school diploma and the first two years of college.

MC Vice President of Instruction Dr. Rex Peebles explains, “Early College High School is designed to give students who either might not go to college or might not have the ability to go to college the chance to do so. ECHS students give up most extracurricular activities and devote a lot of extra time to study in order to succeed. In the end, they can get a high school diploma and a college Associate’s degree when they leave; this is a pretty good opportunity for kids that never may have gone to college at all!”

Each fall since 2009, ECHS at MC has accepted approximately 85 students into the program, which begins at the ninth-grade year. For the past two years ECHS at MC has been rated as an exemplary campus by the Texas Education Agency! There is no cost to the students for college tuition, and the program’s success has prompted several individuals and organizations to help with tuition costs. Between April 2011 and January 2012, the Midland College Foundation has received over $250,000 in donations for ECHS tuition. Among those contributing $20,000 or more include Abell-Hanger Foundation, Inc., COG Operating LLC, Fasken Foundation, Scharbauer Foundation, Inc., The Rea Charitable Trust and Wayne and Jo Ann Moore Charitable Foundation.

The Abell-Hanger Foundation has been a major force behind the fundraising for ECHS at MC. At the January 17, 2012, MC Board of Trustees meeting, MC President Dr. Steve Thomas publicly thanked Abell-Hanger Foundation and its Executive Director David Smith for its $50,000 contribution and for helping to bring awareness of the program to the Midland community.

Smith notes, “The trustees of Abell-Hanger Foundation viewed this unique collaboration between MISD and Midland College as worthy of our funding support and assistance. With all the state reductions in funding, it is vital for the philanthropic and business communities to step up and ensure that this program is preserved. We applaud the courage of both institutions to maintain this new program in the face of economic changes. It is our hope that the community will rise up to provide the funding needed to continue this program.”