School leaders are proposing adding just one new course to the city’s high school menu next year.

But that dual-credit English composition class would pave the way for students to have the chance to graduate with both a diploma and an associate’s degree from Paul D. Camp Community College, said Dr. Lynn

Cross, assistant superintendent for Suffolk Public Schools, during Thursday’s School Board’s meeting.

Participating students would take a series of dual-credit classes already offered at the high schools during their junior and senior years, including psychology, biology, U.S. history and calculus.

During the summers, they would be required to take seven additional classes, either at the community college or through its online offerings, Cross said.

The school system would provide the classroom space and textbooks for the new English class, Cross said. PDCCC would provide the instructor, and parents will pay the regular tuition rate n currently $71.50 per credit hour n for the classes.

“That’s significantly less than at any four-year college,” said School Superintendent Dr. Milton Liverman.

The move will allow students to start a four-year college after graduation, with two years of coursework under their belts, or to enter the workforce with more than a high school education, Cross said. The credits would be accepted at all four-year public universities in Virginia.

The Suffolk Education Foundation would provide some scholarship assistance to cover tuition costs, Liverman said.