San Pedro High students to be offered Marymount classes for college credit
Students at San Pedro High will soon be able to take advanced classes that offer college credit honored by nearby Marymount California University at no cost.
The arrangement, which is scheduled to start by mid-September, is the first time high school students within the Los Angeles Unified School District can earn college credits from a four-year, private university, LAUSD officials said in a statement last week.
“I’m really excited for this partnership and the great opportunity it is for our kids,” LAUSD board President Richard Vladovic said. “It will allow them to be a step ahead when they graduate high school.”
The two institutions first began discussing the arrangement about a year and a half ago, when Marymount College, a liberal arts university, was looking for more classroom space.
San Pedro High, which was then close to opening a second campus to relieve overcrowding of its own, caught the college’s attention.
Marymount hoped to use district classrooms for teaching college students at night. In return, the university offered to train and mentor San Pedro teachers — about 20 signed up — who will become adjunct professors and receive a stipend. Then, students who excel on required tests can take Marymount classes, typically during daytime hours, for college credit.
