Post-Secondary Enrollment Options

Ninth and tenth grade students who have been identified by the school district as gifted and talented, and eligible eleventh and twelfth grade students, may utilize the Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (“PSEO”) program.  To qualify, a course must be a nonsectarian, credit-bearing course that leads to a degree, and in the areas of:  mathematics, science, social sciences, humanities, career and technical education.  A course is not eligible for PSEO if a comparable course is offered by the school district.  In addition, courses at a community college with which the district has a concurrent enrollment agreement are not eligible for PSEO.  Students shall not be charged for tuition, textbooks, materials, or fees related to a PSEO course with the exception of equipment that becomes the property of the student. 

The school district shall reimburse the post-secondary institution for tuition and other expenses for each PSEO course up to $250.  Students who successfully complete a PSEO course, as determined by the postsecondary institution, shall receive postsecondary credit and high school credit.  The Superintendent or designee shall grant to a student who successfully completes a PSEO course a unit of high school graduation credit for every unit of high school level instruction successfully completed. 

Transportation to and from the postsecondary institution is the responsibility of the student or parent or legal guardian of the student enrolled in a PSEO course.  Eligible students may take up to seven hours of post-secondary credit during the summer months and receive high school credit upon successful completion of a post-secondary course.  However, the student or student’s parent or legal guardian are responsible for all costs associated with courses taken during the summer.   

Students who fail a PSEO course and fail to receive credit are required to reimburse the school district for all costs directly related to the course up to the $250.00 reimbursement maximum.  Prior to registering, students under the age of eighteen are required to have a parent or guardian sign a form indicating that the parent is responsible for the costs of the course should the student fail the course and fail to receive credit.  Reimbursement waivers may be granted by the board if sufficient verification is provided to show that the student was unable to complete the course for reasons outside the student’s control, including but not limited to physical incapacity, a death in the student’s immediate family, or a move out of the school district.

If a student is unable to demonstrate proficiency or the school district or accredited nonpublic school determines that the course unit completed by the student does not meet the school district’s standards, the superintendent shall provide in writing to the student’s parent or guardian the reason for the denial of credit.

Des Moines Web Design by Juicebox Interactive