Ocean City Discusses 3-Year Option For High School Students

OCEAN CITY, NJ — The Ocean City School District discussed offering an accelerated three-year track to incoming high school students at a Board of Education meeting on March 17.

If school officials approve the plan, it could be offered as early as the next school year.

“Most of us have this perspective or construct that it's (high school) four years,” said Ocean City High School Principal Matt Jamison. “For the overwhelming majority of our students, they hold that same perspective, but every year we have one or two students who would like to graduate early and that's becoming more common."

Jamison said an official three-year track is not available to students at the moment. The proposed three-year track would require 120 credits to graduate, versus the current 135 credits.

In the three-year track, students still must meet all the state requirements, including testing, to receive a high school diploma. The core study content is also the same, according to Jamison.

A guidance counselor would meet with students and their parents to chart out a three-year course near the end of freshman year.

"One thing the pandemic has taught us is how flexible education can be, especially senior year," Jamison said. "Young people are doing wonderful things at a younger age and some would like to seize that momentum when they're enthusiastic about their future."

Superintendent Kathleen Taylor said a three-year track could help students who want to enter the workforce quicker, start college a year earlier or spend an extra year saving up for their desired college.

The district recently launched a dual program with Atlantic Cape Community College that allows students to pursue a high school and an associates degree at the same time.

This three-year track would give students another flexible opportunity to move through high school and advance to a post-secondary career, according to Taylor.

She said the Policy Committee will review the program next.

Click here to get Patch email notifications on this or other local news articles or get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our app. Download here. Follow Ocean City Patch on Facebook. Have a news tip? Email kimberlee.bongard@patch.com.