Important message from District 88: Call to action regarding dual-credit house bill

Pictured is District 88 Superintendent Dr. Jean Barbanente.

Dear DuPage High School District 88 families,

We are proud to offer our students more than 50 Dual-Credit courses in 17 career pathway areas, which allow students to earn both high school credit and college credit. These courses save our students and families money on tuition (more than $1 million each year) and speed up college completion. I am writing to let you know about a pending Illinois amendment to the Dual-Credit Quality Act HB5020 that has the potential to affect our Dual-Credit program here at District 88. This amendment will ensure we are able to continue our Dual-Credit offerings for our students and families. Without it, we believe our Dual-Credit program could be in jeopardy. Since 2016, enrollment in these courses has grown each year. Still, just 14% of Illinois high school students are enrolled in Dual-Credit courses, which is significantly behind some of our neighboring states, where more than half of students are enrolled in college courses while in high school.

Our students have greatly benefited from our intentional partnership with College of DuPage to offer Dual-Credit courses. During the past several years, we have expanded our offerings to include both general education courses, as well as Career and Technical Education (CTE) capstone experiences. 

Call to Action
I encourage you to contact your Illinois State Representative and urge them to vote to support the amendment to the Dual-Credit Quality Act HB5020. Lawmakers take notice when their constituents reach out to them. It is important for you to let them know:

• Dual-Credit is a benefit to you and your student. 
  
  
• Dual-Credit courses allow students to experience success in college-level courses, while still in high school.
  
  
• Earning Dual-Credit saves students and families money and speeds up college completion. District 88 families save more than $1 million each year in college tuition through students taking college-credit courses.

To find your state representative, visit the legislator lookup website. In the search box, enter your address and then select State Representative from the drop-down menu. Your state representative’s website link will be displayed. Their website features their official e-mail address and contact information.

We sincerely hope our state representatives will vote in support of the HB5020 Dual-Credit Quality Act amendment. If you would like more detailed information, click here.

Sincerely,
Jean Barbanente, Ed.D.
Superintendent
DuPage High School District 88