Civil Municipal Magazine - Nov 2023

191 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 11 COUNCI L BLUFFS COMMUNI T Y SCHOOL DISTRICT College full-time to earn an associate degree while remaining connected to their high schools for extracurricular opportunities. “Expanding the Early College Academy to meet the demand is a goal Superintendent Murillo would like to accomplish if more funding was available. This unique opportunity, and so many other college experiences are provided to students at no cost to their families. The state of Iowa reimburses the school district approximately 50-70% of the concurrent enrollment cost for students taking college courses, varying by field of study,” explains Dr. Murillo. Dr. Murillo points out the importance of removing financial obstacles, to ensure equity in education, stating “Our job here is to remove every barrier for students.” While in this program, students apply to at least 10 universities or colleges, and every time they are accepted into one of those institutions, the