Bishop Lynch High School’s Dual Enrollment Program

With our campaign we have had the opportunity to hear something of the parish schools. Here is a blog from Bishop Farrell.

Bishop Lynch High School’s Dual Enrollment Program
By Bishop Kevin Farrell, May 30, 2013

Bishop Lynch High School graduates are entering colleges and universities as sophomores and juniors in their first year thanks to the school’s Dual Enrollment Program which offers college
credit for certain high school courses.

In 2010 Victoria Erlinger registered as a junior at Texas A&M in her freshman year with 87 semester hours. Chelsea Firra, BL’s 2013 salutatorian will enter Truman State University in the fall with 85 semester hours.

Lynch, the largest private high school in the State of Texas, hosts the largest Dual Enrollment Program in the state, offering more than 50 courses a year in English, math, history, science and the arts. In the 2012-2013 academic year 360 students (grades 9-12) participated.

To be eligible to participate, students must pass the Dallas County Community College entrance exam or be exempt by their SAT or ACT scores. Once enrolled, students must maintain a 3.0 average. The last three graduating classes have taken over 3000 credit hours with them to college…all at no extra charge for the student and their families. All Lynch faculty members have met the academic requirements for adjunct professors at Eastfield College. This is the kind of initiative by our Catholic schools that makes them stand out among educational institutions and assures parents that their children are receiving not only a Christian value centered education but outstanding academic formation.

Bishop Lynch will observe its 50th anniversary in September. I congratulate the administration and faculty of Bishop Lynch High School for achieving and maintaining the highest level of
academic excellence for five decades.

Campaign Progress
Our campaign continues to grow, contributions continue at a good pace. We all need to be ready to make our pledge. It is so easy in this kind of campaign to simply hide from our responsibility but it will not bring the same measure of joy. We need to share our bounty with those in need. We need to do this with joy.

The current numbers are, contributed to date: $1,545,000, which is 65% of our $2,375,000 goal. $830,000 remains to be pledged. One important reminder is that 30% of the total pledged is to be returned to the parish to help us with our local projects. Sometimes we see giving from our substance as a painful necessity at best. In reality it is truly an opportunity to give thanks, to rejoice.