City to consider having libraries offer high school diplomas

Citizens of El Paso may soon be able to earn a high school diploma through city libraries.

The city of El Paso’s libraries director Dionne Mack has pitched a new program to city council. If approved, the city would pay about $150,000 a year to provide scholarships to a private online high school.

100 El Pasoans would enroll for their high school diploma every year.

Mack told ABC-7, “when you talk about this kind of investment you really need to talk about the return. And when you look at the fact that the earning potential is $10,000 less for a person who doesn’t have high school, I don’t think there’s a greatest gift that we can help people to have.”

Mack added, “I think this is one of the most wonderful opportunities I’ve seen and I’ve been in this industry for twenty years.”

City representative Lily Limon, a former educator, told ABC-7 she had some concerns about the program. Among them: that libraries don’t have enough computers to accommodate participants and that school districts already have dropout recovery.

“They’re not just giving up on the students. There is a concerted effort in the city to do this,” said Limon. “I know the problem. I’ve lived the problem but I’m not so sure that this is going to be a solution.”

Another concern Limon had is that the private high school is a for-profit agency, and she’s worried it won’t be looking out for the best interest of the student.

Mack told ABC-7 that the high school itself is a private accredited school, and that the same accrediting agency that accredits this organization is one of six that accredits the entire country, including 50 El Paso schools like Loretto Academy.

Mack said that there aren’t enough dropout recovery programs and the existing ones stop serving people at age 26. The proposed one by the city would have no age limit.

City council will take up the issue Tuesday, February 9.