Seminole Public Schools are working on the programs they offer to high school students preparing for their post-graduation life.

During the school board’s monthly meeting, which took place Tuesday, June 14, High School Principal Wade Rigney went over the programs which are planned to be offered in the upcoming school year. In a presentation labeled as, “Advanced Placement and Dual Credit Weights,” Rigney outlined the three different tracks which high school students enrolled at Seminole may take as: College Prep, Associates degree, and Core.

Of the three, the two which will qualify students for Oklahoma’s Promise are College Prep and Associates Degree. Each of these, as their names imply, are also designed to give students a leg up in their subsequent college career either through concurrent classes at Seminole State or through preparatory courses at the high school. Those who participate in the Core program will not be eligible for Oklahoma’s Promise, but will be on track to receive their diploma at the end of their four years in high school.

According to Rigney, the reason for the school’s attention to these various tracks is so that students may better plan out their high school career in order to put themselves in the best position possible for life after graduation. “A lot of people think you just come and enroll but there is a lot more to it than that,” asserted Rigney. This, of course, depends on the student’s own personal goals, as some may be more focused on becoming valedictorian while others may just want to get as many college credits under their belt as they can.

In addition to these varying tracks which Rigney detailed in his presentation, he also went over two alternative learning environments—Alternative or Virtual Education—which are available to students. Each of these would allow students to choose between either a College Prep or a Core curriculum.

When choosing the best track for students, Rigney urges parents to be realistic about what their teenagers are capable of when it comes to their course load, as it will have lasting implications on their academic record. “With all the choices our students have, we want them to know what they are doing,” assures Rigney.