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Running Start: Good for Some Students, Bad for the District

Writer's picture: Rowan McBennettRowan McBennett
TRENDLINE. This graph displays the amount of Running Start students enrolled at VHS from 2018, until this school year. Commuters used to be allowed to be in Running Start through VHS, but due to the financial burden on the district, this is not the case anymore. Rowan discusses whether Running Start is good for the district overall in this article. Graph courtesy of Sloane Overdorf.
TRENDLINE. This graph displays the amount of Running Start students enrolled at VHS from 2018, until this school year. Commuters used to be allowed to be in Running Start through VHS, but due to the financial burden on the district, this is not the case anymore. Rowan discusses whether Running Start is good for the district overall in this article. Graph courtesy of Sloane Overdorf.

As Running Start becomes increasingly popular, it’s important to consider the implications of expanded enrollment. Through Running Start, a junior or senior enrolls in a community college to complete their high school requirements. This year 33 Vashon High School students are attending Running Start.

Stephanie Blower, a senior, believes that Running Start will enable them to transition more smoothly to collegiate rigor.

“Taking harder classes or classes with more homework than we have here was ultimately a good decision,” Blower described.

Blower believes that it was helpful to adjust to college level rigor while still in their supportive home environment.

Uly Watson, a senior, has also had a positive experience in the program.

“The college credit will probably take off more than a year of time I would be spending in college. Maybe I could spend that time in the workforce and doing what I love to do,” Watson explained.

Each Running Start class is worth 1.0 credit—double the credit of a VHS class. Because Running Start students earn high school and college credits simultaneously, Running Start decreases the cost of college.

“It’s highly beneficial for families where paying for college may be an issue,” Tara Vaneslow, VHS counselor, commented.

Watson also cited having a flexible schedule with fewer classes as advantages of Running Start. However, he cautioned that Running Start will be challenging for students who are not self-disciplined.

“You are basically doing everything yourself, and so it requires a certain amount of personal self-discipline when it comes to doing that because if you can’t manage yourself, then you are going to have a really bad time,” Watson described.

Blower commented that Running Start teachers are less lenient.

“The classes move pretty quickly, which increases the density of the content,” Blower warned.

Running Start students must manage their coursework without support. Running Start doesn’t use standards based grading, so students have fewer opportunities to improve poor grades.

“These are college courses, and they remain on your college transcript. THEY COUNT! Often students don’t realize that if they do poorly at RS, it can tank their college transcript before they even arrive at a 4 year university,” Vaneslow cautioned.

Another drawback Watson expressed was that community college students are less interested in socializing.

“For a very social person, Running Start would likely make them extremely lonely... Even I, a fairly introverted person, came to miss hanging out with my friends at VHS to a degree…there’s usually an air of isolation that keeps everyone apart,” Watson described.

Watson also warned that colleges may not accept Running Start credits.

“Other colleges (particularly out-of-state ones) will not count many or even all of the credits you have earned and will require you to take those classes again to meet degree requirements,” Watson commented.

Running Start changes the high school’s social landscape. Cecelia Guenther, junior, believes that Running Start has negatively impacted her friend group.

“A lot of our friends have joined it, and I think it makes our friend group kind of sad not to have them here anymore. We see them a lot less,” Guenther described.

For this reason, Guenther does not support Running Start.

“I think maybe that’s one reason why I don’t like Running Start because I feel like people should be having their high school experience along with their friends,” Guenther explained.

One of Guenther’s friends had a challenging experience with Running Start.

“The person that I know who joined Running Start doesn’t actually like it very much, and it’s more difficult than she expected,” Guenther commented.

Oskar Cobb Maigetter, junior, shares Guenther’s concern about Running Start’s impact on his friend group.

“I feel like it’s made it pretty divided. Some of the boys are just off doing their own thing …our table group is non-existent now,” Maigetter described.

Maigetter also agreed with Watson that Running Start students are more likely to feel lonely.

“The social aspect, depending on the person, can be rough,” Maigetter cautioned.

Maigetter urged students to think twice about Running Start.

“If you have a big friend group and you want to stay all together—would not recommend. You might be left roaming lunch all alone, sadly,” he concluded.

Enrollment in Running Start has significant consequences for the district as well. According to Stephanie Spencer, Vashon’s Director of Teaching and Learning, the district receives $10,877.35 per student from the state each year. 93% of a Running Start student’s allotment. In other words, the money the district receives to spend on textbooks, courses, lessons, and materials goes to their college instead of the district. Due to Running Start, the district lost $333,825.88 in revenue this year.

“When I see a large group of students leave the district after their sophomore year to go to Running Start, it really changes the programs we have to offer to everybody who’s not going to Running Start,” Jason Butler, a social studies teacher at VHS, explained.

Vashon already faces declining enrollment due to fewer people having kids and the high cost of housing. Fewer students creates larger class sizes and reductions in courses, which drive students to other schools. Blower and Watson mentioned expanded course offerings as an advantage of Running Start.

Some staff have questioned whether the high school should offer a Running Start interest meeting since it directly competes with VHS for students.

“I agree with other staff members. We shouldn’t be promoting programs that take away students and dollars away from our school. It seems counterintuitive,” Butler said.

Vaneslow, however, does support the meeting.

“Running Start is free and allows access to college for some students who might not otherwise be able to access it. Also, by holding interest meetings, we can talk about the pros and cons (which there are some) so that students can make informed choices,” Vaneslow explained.

Running Start can be advantageous for some students. However, there is a cost for the district as a whole, especially the high school students who are left behind.

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