Dual Enrollment Tops Expectations Response Less In North Idaho, With Most At Sandpoint High

The state’s dual enrollment law has brought almost 400 part-time students into the public schools, according to a statewide survey.

The number of private-and home-schooled students taking advantage of the new law was greater than expected, said Mike Friend, executive director of the Idaho School Administrators Association.

The new law, passed last winter, requires that public schools allow non-public school students to enroll in select classes or activities.

Friend will present the results of an association survey at a school board conference in Coeur d’Alene on Friday.

Earlier this week, Friend had counted 96 responses out of the state’s 112 school districts.

Those 96 school districts reported a total of 391 students are attending school part time. Eighty-two of those are in kindergarten through sixth grade.

North Idaho schools have reported only handfuls of dual enrollment students. The biggest group is eight at Sandpoint High.

Statewide, the greatest numbers were in the middle school grades, Friend said.

Although participation in athletics was the greatest controversy before the legislation passed, only 28 students are participating solely in sports. Another 48 are enrolled in classes and sports.

About 80 students who would otherwise be full-time seniors have opted out of a full load of classes under the dual enrollment law, according to the survey.

Fearing too many seniors would slack off, some school districts enacted new policies requiring seniors to enroll full-time in order to graduate, Friend said.

Overall, the new law appears to be relatively trouble-free.

, DataTimes