BVU, South O’Brien Community School District Enter Strategic Partnership
The South O'Brien Community School District expands its employee benefits to offer grant funding through a Strategic Partnership with Buena Vista University.
Buena Vista University (BVU) and the South O’Brien Community School District (SOCSD) have entered in a Strategic Partnership to benefit those who serve students.
This partnership allows for employees of SOCSD, as well as eligible family members of full-time employees, to receive grant funding to lower the overall cost of education while enrolled in classes at BVU’s Storm Lake campus. Partner grant funding also lowers the cost per credit hour for students enrolled in BVU’s convenient online/hybrid undergraduate programs or the organizational leadership graduate program.
BVU professors and staff are also available for training programs, workshops, and more should officials with SOCSD seek those services and expertise.
“By working with school districts across Iowa, we can help to build a stronger workforce and uplift our communities.”
Laura Todd, BVU Director of Strategic Partnerships
“A Strategic Partnership with BVU is a great opportunity that benefits both our school district and our community,” says SOCSD Superintendent Wade Riley. “This will provide our employees and their family members an avenue to pursue their degree, now at a lower overall tuition cost.”
SOCSD has approximately 110 employees serving 585 students in grades PK-12. The district is comprised of six communities throughout southern O’Brien County, including Primghar, Paullina, Gaza, Calumet, Germantown, and Sutherland.
“I enjoyed my time at BVU, a quality university that gave me the skills necessary to make a difference in my community,” says SOCSD Junior/Senior High School Principal Denise Phillips, a 1996 BVU graduate who also earned her master’s degree at BVU. Phillips currently serves as a BVU Online & Hybrid Programs adjunct faculty member. “My degree from BVU has helped me in my own career, and I look forward to the opportunities this partnership will create for others.”
“We are extremely pleased to partner with South O’Brien Community School District and provide benefits to their dedicated staff and family members,” says BVU Director of Strategic Partnerships Laura Todd. “By working with school districts across Iowa, we can help to build a stronger workforce and uplift our communities.”
For more information about BVU’s Strategic Partnerships and partner opportunities, please visit the BVU website at bvu.edu/strategic-partnerships or contact Strategic Partnerships at StrategicPartnerships@bvu.edu.