For city school students, the education highway now has a few more exits to visit in regards to postsecondary learning.

Elizabethton High School and Milligan College announced a new partnership Friday afternoon that creates new postsecondary pathways for EHS Bartleby students. Milligan President Dr. Bill Greer and Elizabethton City Schools Chair Rita Booher signed the agreement Friday, which will now provide qualifying Bartleby students college admission waivers, scholarships and access to dual enrollment courses.

“We are very proud and excited to be working in such close partnership with Milligan College,” said Bartleby Director Terry Smith. “Milligan is a truly outstanding educational institution, and because our Bartleby program core values are in such perfect alignment with theirs, especially regarding their core belief of outstanding servant leadership, then our two institutions are ideally suited for the close partnership we have created between us.  We both believe deeply in the greatness of our Elizabethton community, and together we are working with maximum effort to develop our Elizabethton students to the attainment of their absolute highest possible level of achievement both during their high school careers and after they have graduated from us.  With the development of the Bartleby Program, then Elizabethton High School is already recognized as one of the 18 Super Schools in the United States, and working in close partnership with Milligan College will help us to achieve our next goal of becoming the most outstanding high school in America.”

According to information provided during the meeting, students are required to submit a portfolio of their work on community and entrepreneurial projects to apply for the initiative. Along with portfolios, students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and 21 ACT to be eligible for scholarships.

The partnership also allows teachers to share Bartleby teaching methods with Milligan students on professional development days.

Greer added the new agreement will be key for the future and help promote local educational opportunities for students. Being from the Johnson County area, Greer added he ready to see these types of resources be offered to students in the area.

“I’m excited about this partnership,” Greer said. “I think the Bartleby Program is unique in the way it includes interdisciplinary learning and innovation. There have been various projects these students have done and they are really impressive. Those are the kinds of students we want to have at Milligan College.”

While adding it’s important for prospective students to have a choice in postsecondary education, Greer said this partnership could set the stage for other local agreements with schools.