Jones schools eyeing partnership with LCC

TRENTON - Jones County school leaders are working with Lenoir Community College on a partnership that would allow students to graduate with a high school diploma and an associate's degree in five years.

Jones Senior administrators presented the plan at the Board of Education meeting Thursday night. Principal Pascal Mubenga said the five-year plan would offer the same educational opportunities to Jones County students that students in neighboring counties are already getting.

Mubenga and Laura Fleming, a curriculum coach, said that systems like Onslow and Craven already have early college high schools, where students can get the diploma and two-year degree in five years.

"Board members, this is free tuition for our students," Fleming said. "By doing this, they will save $22,000 to $32,000 that they would pay to public universities. They will be able to take the general college courses that everybody has to take."

Lindora Toudle, a board member, said she wants to make sure all students, not just those classified as academically gifted, will be eligible for the five-year route. Robert Jones, the board chairman, said his only concern with the plan is that parents have chances to learn about it and understand it.

Later this month, eighth- and ninth-grade students and their parents will have a chance to attend a meeting about the option, Fleming said.

Mubenga said he believes the program will be a valuable option to attract students in the Maysville area who elect to go to school in Onslow County for such options.

In other business at the meeting, school liaisons from Camp Lejeune and the Marine Corps Air Station at New River told the board they want to help provide extra programs for Jones County students, especially in the Maysville area, who have military parents.

Julie Fulton, the school liaison officer at Lejeune, said Congress did a study in 2007 that found troops who had problems in combat were also having family problems at home. On the basis of those findings, the military started a liaison program, among other new initiatives, to support children, Fulton said.

Fulton and Courtney Buzzard, the liaison officer at New River, work with Onslow County and want to form a new partnership with Jones County.

"If Jones County gets a military student from California who is in his or her senior year and can't get enough credits to graduate here, the student can get credit to graduate from the California high school and walk here," Fulton said. "That's an example, but there's a lot of flexibility that is available now for military children. We're eager to serve you here."

Buzzard said the average military child moves seven to nine times between kindergarten and 12th grade. She said liaisons can help those children transition into Jones County schools.

"This would help, especially in our Maysville area, where we're probably going to see a military influx," Robert Jones said. "We probably already have."