For years, students at Seminole High have planned ways to achieve their goals more quickly. For some students, the way to achieve their goal is through Dual Enrollment; this is a program where high school students can enroll and take college classes.

Initially started in 1984, the program has grown and become very popular for students who wish to take college classes a little early. However, the rules of dual enrollment are changing.  

During the 2014-15 school year, students in Seminole County were allowed to take almost any class of their choice.  Due to a bill signed by Governor Rick Scott in 2013, circumstances are now changing. Students are now restricted in what classes they are allowed to take; they are required to choose college classes that they need to graduate high school (i.e. English 101, English 102, etc.).

Alumni of Seminole High Janesha Jones says, “I took dual enrollment just last school year [2014-15] and these rules weren’t in place. Student are being told what they can and can’t continue learning in and that’s not really fair. No one should be able to tell a student where to stop learning, no matter what the reason is. If the student is smart enough to further their education early, they should be able to.”

On March 15, 2016, there was a meeting for upcoming seniors and juniors at Seminole High School for Dual Enrollment. The meeting gave students information such as how to fill out the forms, the test scores one needs to have, and the classes the students are allowed to take. When the students were informed that they are only allowed to take classes that are a graduation requirement, they were understandably upset. Junior Naddav Rubina asked the guidance counselors if he would still be able to take a dual enrollment class for band at Seminole State College (SSC) and unfortunately the counselors said ‘No.’

Rubina comments, “ When I learned that I wouldn’t be able to take band classes at SSC, it made me upset because they are really good and I thought it would be an amazing opportunity to work with a broad age range (16-85 years old) and they have a lot of experience. I feel like it’s not fair that we can’t take classes we want because of money cuts.”

The guidance counselors at the meeting told the students that because Seminole County Public Schools now have to pay for students taking Dual Enrollment, they limited the what students are allowed to take. This is because the school board has limited funds.

Assistant Director Angela Adame-Smith of the International Students and Dual Enrollment programs at SSC confirms that the main reason for these changes is a lack of funds. The change in funding has caused school districts to pay for the students who decide to take dual enrollment.

Although students feel as though the changes are unfair, many still plan to take college classes at SSC.