International Baccalaureate programs cut for high costs

The International Baccalaureate program at Aiken High and North Augusta High schools, started in the late 1990s, nearly was eliminated by the Aiken County Board of Education in 2003 during a severe economic downturn.

But, the Aiken School Board chose then to trim the $800,000 budget in half and preserve the program.

In 2009, the school district faces a far more serious shortfall and the I.B. program won't return next fall. That decision will impact a small group of juniors at both schools, who won't be able to earn I.B. diplomas when they graduate next year.

The I.B. program provides challenging coursework in the two schools that are run in tandem in some instances with Advanced Placement courses.

Currently, eight seniors at North Augusta are on track for diplomas and will have to take six exams in May. Another 36 are taking I.B. courses to earn certificates based on the number of exams taken. Three juniors are on the diploma track and another 45 are in the certificate program. Sufficient scores provide college credit.

The numbers are smaller at Aiken High, but more juniors will be affected. Four seniors and nine juniors are current diploma candidates, and 12 seniors and eight juniors are certificate candidates.

The School Board approved budget cuts in a number of areas, and none of them, including the I.B. program, would have been the Board's choice in better economic times, said Superintendent Dr. Beth Everitt.

"We used a number of factors," she said. "The fact that we have Advanced Placement at every school doesn't rule out college credit for students and increasing their GPA. The number of students and the cost of the program were considered in making this choice."

Over the past 33 years, Galan Potter has served as a teacher, assistant principal and principal. She has directed North Augusta's I.B. program since its inception in 1998.

The program has been so beneficial, she sad. The diploma candidates must participate in community action service and write a 4,000-word essay. I.B. has its own core courses that are extremely challenging and important for students before they leave for college, said Potter.

"I.B. students are not expected to be straight-A students," she said. "As long as they can make "C's" in the past classes, they will have stretched themselves. We have got to turn out kids who are competitive."

Nathan Towles, now a College of Charleston freshman, graduated with an I.B. diploma from North Augusta last spring. "I.B. classes provided a great way for me to learn a good work ethic in a college environment. I.B. made me learn to be accountable to myself," Towles said.

* The national economic crisis and state budget cuts have led to the Aiken County Board of Education's decision to eliminate the International Baccalaureate program at Aiken High School and North Augusta High School.

* The program provides rigorous coursework for juniors and seniors. A relatively small number participate in the full I.B. diploma program, while somewhat larger numbers take I.B. classes for certificates. Many of the classes are taken in tandem with Advanced Placement classes, although they have different final exams for credit.

The I.B. program has provided another opportunity for students who want advanced classes, said Everitt. But A.P. also provides college credit for successful students, and the I.B. program's cost ($400,000) and limited number of diploma graduates were factors in eliminating it, the superintendent said.

"Nathan Towles, a College of Charleston freshman and a 2008 I.B. diploma graduate of North Augusta High School, said, "It (I.B.) is so demanding. It's a task and a responsibility that asks you to be completely resourceful and to be reliant upon yourself. It's like a college workload and it was well worth it."

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.