Weekly Messmer Column: Local High Schools Recognized for AP Excellence

In this week's update from Indiana Senator Mark Messmer, Messmer highlights the achievements of two area high schools.

Jasper High School and Heritage Hills High School were recently recognized by the Indiana Department of Education, in collaboration with the College Board, for having 25% or more of their graduating class during the 2019-2020 school year earn at least one 3+ score on the Advanced Placement (AP) exam.

AP courses are college-level courses taken in high school that give students the opportunity to receive college credits while still in high school. This benefits students by saving time and money, as well as giving them an opportunity to graduate earlier from college early.

Indiana high schools offer more than 30 AP courses, but not all schools offer all the courses. Subjects include those in arts, English, history and social sciences, math and computer science, sciences, and world languages and cultures.

Since the program's founding in 2012, more than 25,000 students at 58 Indiana public high schools have participated, collectively taking more than 36,400 AP math, science and English courses. This translates to nearly $12 million in college tuition saved for Hoosier students. 

In Indiana, the average balance for federal and private student loan borrowers is $30,661. While this is better than the national average, AP courses enable students to get ahead of the game and reduce the amount of money they'll need to borrow.

Congratulations to Jasper High School and Heritage Hills High School for receiving this recognition! I am proud to have such hardworking students and educators in Senate District 48.

As always, feel free to contact my office directly with your questions and concerns by email at [email protected] or by phone at 800-382-9467.