Billings public charter school partners with Minnesota college to make college easier

Erwin Garcia, the superintendent of Billings Public Schools, speaks to an audience at the Billings Opportunity School to announce a partnership with Concordia College on Oct. 16, 2024 (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan).

Just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, high school students in Billings Public Schools enrolled at public Montana colleges and universities at 50%. Today, that number hovers around 29%.

Leaders in Montana's largest public school system don't exactly know what's driving that number — it could be any number of reasons or all of them: Rising costs of tuition; inflation; greater technical and career opportunities; or fear of crippling student debt.

But in an effort to open doors and opportunities for students, especially those who may have never considered going to college, Billings Public Schools is getting some unexpected help from two states away, and it's helping to build out a model of public charter schools as well.

On Wednesday, Billings Public Schools signed a memorandum of understanding with Concordia College of Moorhead, Minnesota, that will help students at the Billings Opportunity School , a newly formed public charter school, with college counseling and a promise: If students there get accepted and come from a household with less than $90,000 adjusted gross income, then tuition is free.

It's called "The Concordia Promise" and the four-year, liberal arts college, located just across the border from Fargo, N.D., also guarantees that all students there will finish in four years, or the fifth year is on the college.

Billings Public Schools Superintendent Erwin Garcia admits there are other colleges closer than Concordia, but it was the district's commitment to reaching out to students in poverty or those who have never considered higher-education that sealed the deal to sign the partnership.

It's also one of the more visible examples of a new concept, championed by the Legislature and public school districts — public charter schools. In the years-long conversation about the future of public education in Montana, many Republican lawmakers have backed the idea of charter schools, and many Democrats have pushed back against it, worrying that it may rob already strapped public schools of students and resources. So, the Legislature has opened up the possibility of charter schools within the public system to expand opportunities while still keeping the model public.

The Billings Opportunity School, a converted elementary school, now takes high school students who want or need more individualized study and attention, and offers them the chance for a diploma plus specialized learning in anything from diesel mechanics to cybersecurity.

Concordia College President Colin Irvine told the Daily Montanan that the college will be offering close, personal career counseling for the students from staff who can help guide students and families toward next steps in their career, especially with families who may not be familiar with the ins and outs of things like FAFSAs (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or admission to a college, university or other institution after high school.

Garcia said it was important to look for a partner especially for this group which may have never considered the option, or believe it's beyond their reach.

"I know the conversations they're having around the dinner table and they may not be talking about it because the goal is to generate income. They don't have the luxury of even thinking about college, but with the Concordia Promise, that changes the entire conversation," Garcia said.

The partnership started when Irvine was on a college recruitment swing to area high schools, part of a college president's job. A meeting with Garcia last year set the trajectory for the partnership.

"The first thing he said to us was, 'How can we partner?'" Irvine recalled.

Irvine is a native of Boise, Idaho, the son of a school maintenance worker. He was the first in his family to graduate from college. He did his undergraduate education at Carroll College. Having lived in the state and also having taught high school and coached, he said he understands the challenge of teachers and students. He said the reception in Billings was unlike others, and the partnership was forged on the spot.

Garcia saw it as the perfect opportunity to help the district answer a math problem: Of its 5,600 high school students, 2,600 don't seem to go from high school to higher education, but officials are asking, "Why?"

For Irvine, the partnership has the opportunity to help his institution, which needs the next generation of college students, and has historically had deep alumni roots in Eastern Montana, and Billings, in particular.

"We need to reclaim our relationship to this place," Irvine said.

The partnership isn't stopping Garcia's work with higher-educational institutions closer to home, like Rocky Mountain College and Montana State University-Billings. MSUB has been a key partner in dual-credit enrollment which helps high school student gain college credit while in high school. Instead, Garcia said this is about opening an opportunity for students who may have never pictured themselves in college, or families who may not know how to navigate higher education.

"We're here to partner with students who are not dreaming big enough," Irvine said.

Irvine said part of the college's commitment is to help send career counselors that work one-on-one with students to help figure out next steps, whether that's college or something else. It takes the one-on-one instruction model of the Billings Opportunity Schools and extends it to conversations about careers.

"Regardless of whether they end up going to Concordia College. What if today we broke into their thinking because now they're considering going to college?" he said. "We need students who need us."

Billings City Councilmember and Concordia alumna Jennifer Owen spoke about her experience at the college as a first-generation student. After graduating from Skyview High School in Billings, she said she was exposed to world leaders, as well as encountered world challenges, like the plight of refugees.

"The mission statement of the college which is literally carved in stone is to influence the affairs of the world. That's what you're expected to do — influence the affairs of the world," Owen said. "They know how to make that happen."

Billings Opportunity Schools students Miranda Velasquez, a ninth-grader, spoke about how the Billings Opportunity School setting was different, and making a positive change in her life. She said that middle school was a challenge, but because of the one-on-one relationship she has forged with the teachers and the individualized instruction, she now has her sights set on becoming a psychiatric nurse.

"I used to not want to come to school. Now, I am planning a career," she said.

Bo Bruinsma, the school district's career outreach director, said the whole purpose of the partnership and programs like the Billings Opportunity Schools is to change the students' perspectives.

"We want to change the conversation from 'Can I attend college?' to 'Should I attend college,' and with this, they know that college is within reach. They can answer that question," Bruinsma said.