Largo High School is one of five county high schools being creative in implementing a successful college program despite cuts to Prince George's County's school budget.

In addition to Largo, Forestville Military Academy, Charles H. Flowers High School in Springdale, Crossland High School in Temple Hills and Surrattsville High School in Clinton are striving to ensure success for College Summit, a national program that works with schools and colleges to raise college enrollment rates and to help create a college-bound culture at the school.

During College Summit, which is held during the school day, student leaders and teachers help other students traverse the college application process of college applications, essays, resumes and transcripts.

In the 2009-2010 school year, 11 county schools had the program, but this year, only five county schools still have the program, said Donna Fleming, the executive director of College Summit for the National Capital Region.

County school budget cuts forced these schools to scale back College Summit, reach into their own school pocketbooks and seek alternative forms of funding. The number of students who can enroll in the program is also affected.

Last year, 4,300 county students were enrolled in College Summit; this year, only 1,335 students are participating, Fleming said. Also last year, Prince George's County Public Schools paid $460,000 for the program, while this year the five schools are collectively paying $16,000 from their school-based funds for the program, Fleming said.

Because of the county school budget cuts, College Summit for the National Capital Region decided this year to pay $120,000 for the program at these five schools and plans to raise more than $600,000 to cover College Summit expenses not covered by fees paid by the schools.

The cost per senior to participate is $200, Fleming said.

"We're deeply committed to Prince George's County and the work that [county schools superintendent] Dr. [William Hite Jr.] is doing in the school districts," Fleming said. "We understand the financial burden the school district is under, which is why we made the [financial] commitment this year."

College Summit was piloted at three Prince George's County schools during the 2005-2006 school year and has grown since.

In a search for funding, Largo High turned to soda giant Pepsi, competing in August for one of two $250,000 grants through the Pepsi Refresh Project. The school, which submitted one of nearly 500 "ideas" the public voted on during August, did not receive the grant, so Largo's College Summit program will remain scaled back.

Largo Principal Angelique Simpson-Marcus said the school, which is entering its third year in the program, is paying for it with school-based funds and funds from College Summit and is looking for a partner to fund the program.

"We're making it work," Simpson-Marcus said.

Only 60 seniors can participate in College Summit this year, compared to the 300-plus seniors who participated last year, and the program has six College Summit peer leaders this year, compared with 40 last year, Simpson-Marcus said.

Forestville Military Academy's Principal Nathaniel Laney said College Summit has boomed in the three years since its implementation at his school.

"We've definitely seen an increase [in college applications and enrollment]," Laney said. "This year, we're going to make a push — from entering ninth grade, everyone should have a plan. Even if it changes, just have a plan."

Laney has applied for grants but has not yet heard if they will receive funding.

"We are implementing College Summit until we hear further," Laney said.

Forestville Military Academy, which has about 130 seniors in the program, is the only school of the five in the county to have students in grades nine to 11 also participating in the program, Fleming said. The cost for the Forestville school's 740 students to participate is about $60 per student.

Helena Nobles-Jones, principal at Flowers High School, said the funding from College Summit allows for 100 students of the school's 550 seniors to participate in the program, which is 200 to 300 students less than normal. The program began at the school four years ago.

Nobles-Jones said she is looking for other sources of income to allow for an additional 50 to 100 students to participate.

"College Summit is a course that is in demand by the students. I'm working to juggle to figure out how to pay for an additional 50 to 100 students — that's how much kids appreciate being able to go into a class such as College Summit," Nobles-Jones said.

Last year the school had 20 to 25 peer leaders; this year there are only 15 to 20, Nobles-Jones said.

"I'm exploring anybody that can provide the funds so my kids can have an equal funding," she said, referring to grants or politicians, for example.

Charles Thomas, Crossland's principal, said only 150 seniors — about half of the school's senior class — will participate in the program this year.

In the past, Thomas said all 300 and 350 seniors participated in the program, which began at the school six years ago.

Crossland is paying for the program with school-based funds and money from College Summit, Thomas said.

The number of seniors who go to college has increased "tremendously" since the program began, Thomas said.

"I think it's been very successful because 90 percent of our seniors have applied to four year schools for the last three years and most of them have gotten accepted and most of them have gotten some type of financial aid," Thomas said. "When I came to Crossland in 2004, we only had 60 students who went to a four-year school out of that senior class [of about 300 students]."

Kristi Holden, the principal at Surrattsville High School, could not be reached for comment by press time.

eskalski@gazette.net.