Blue Springs High School

What are the benefits of the A+ Program?

1. Students who successfully complete all the requirements of the program can receive 2 years of paid tuition at a participating public community college or vocational/technical school in the state of Missouri.

2. Some four-year universities offer scholarships based on meeting all the requirements of the A+ Program.
 

When can I sign up/enroll in the program?

Students who are currently in Grades 10, 11, and 12 can enroll in the program this fall. It is important to realize that SENIORS must be enrolled in the program by October 10, 2025 in order to have the opportunity to complete the requirements of the program.

Students who are in Grade 9 will have the opportunity to enroll in the program at the beginning of second semester.

Enrollment packets may be picked up from your building A+ Coordinator, beginning the 3rd week of the semester.
 

Once I am enrolled in the program, what are the next steps?

After a student is enrolled in the program, they will need to complete an A+ Tutor Training before they can begin working on the tutoring requirement.  These trainings will be held at various times throughout the year and will be communicated to the student once they are enrolled in the program.

Once the student is enrolled in the program and has completed the tutor training, they will meet with the A+ Coordinator to begin the process of finding a location to begin working on their 50 hours of tutoring that the State of Missouri requires for the program. All tutoring has to be coordinated by the A+ Coordinator.

For more information or if you have any questions, contact your A+ Coordinator:
 

Blue Springs High School

Lauren Carpenter    

Email: lcarpenter@bssd.net

A+ participants must perform a minimum total of 50 hours of unpaid tutoring or mentoring. For purposes of the program, community service is not considered to be an acceptable substitute for tutoring. 

 Tutoring must be performed in one (or more) of the public school buildings that are part of the Blue Springs School District in an approved program. Tutoring must be performed with Blue Springs public school students and supervised by a certified district teacher.

 All tutoring must be approved by the A+ Coordinator and performed during the week before or after school. Students cannot work at sports camps, school carnivals, act as judges for competitions, etc.

 Tutoring time must be documented on the official BSSD A+ Tutoring Log. These logs are available in the A+ Office. No other record will be accepted. The participant is responsible for maintaining his/her tutoring log accurately, obtaining the necessary signatures and for submitting the log to the A+ Coordinator in a timely manner. No credit will be awarded for logs that are misplaced or stolen - no exceptions.

 Before beginning to tutor, participants must enroll in the program and attend ONE A+ Tutor Training.

1st SEMESTER TUTOR TRAININGS

2nd SEMESTER TUTOR TRAININGS

 * These trainings will take place during Wildcat Hour. Students should sign up via the Adaptive Scheduler or with Mrs. Carpenter and/or Mrs. Buchanan in the Atrium Office beforehand to attend.

A+ Graduates (December 2025) Deadlines:

October 10, 2025
Deadline for Seniors to apply/enroll in the A+ Program

October 10, 2025
Notify your counselor and A+ Coordinator your intention as a mid-year graduate
 * Note—8th semester release students must have all the A+ program requirements completed prior to their last day of school in December.

ASAP
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). All FAFSA information is available at the website: FAFSA Website

November 7, 2025
A+ Attendance appeals and documentation due (if necessary) to your building’s A+ Coordinator.

December 10, 2025
ALL tutoring hours are due to building A+ Coordinator.

December 19, 2025
Complete the FINAL TRANSCRIPT REQUEST though your building’s counseling office. This will be the “official” transcript that is stamped with the A+ seal that will alert the colleges that you are eligible for A+ benefits.
 

A+ Graduates (May 2026) Deadlines:

October 10, 2025
Deadline for Seniors to apply/enroll in the A+ Program

February 2, 2026

 Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). All FAFSA information is available at the website: FAFSA Website

April 2, 2026
A+ Attendance appeals and documentation due (if necessary) to your building’s A+ Coordinator.

April 10, 2026
ALL tutoring hours are due to building A+ Coordinator.

May 8, 2026
Complete the FINAL TRANSCRIPT REQUEST though your building’s counseling office. This will be the “official” transcript that is stamped with the A+ seal that will alert the colleges that you are eligible for A+ benefits.
 

For more information, contact your A+ Coordinator:

Blue Springs High School
Lauren Carpenter
Email: lcarpenter@bssd.net

Job Shadowing is available to SENIORS ONLY.  Please reach out to your building's A+ Coordinator for information about this experience and how you can earn up to 12.5 hours toward your tutoring requirement.

The State of Missouri Requirements are as follows:

• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Attend a A+ designated school for any two of the four years prior to graduation
• Graduate with a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale (grades 9-12), the GPA requirements must be unweighted and unrounded (i.e. 2.499 GPA does not qualify)
• Graduate with a minimum cumulative attendance rate (ADA) of 95% (grades 9-12), the attendance (ADA) requirement cannot be rounded (i.e. a 94.99% cumulative ADA)
• Perform a minimum of 50 hours unpaid tutoring/mentoring in the Blue Springs School District, which must be coordinated through the A+ Office, (BSSD seniors may participate in a job shadowing experience for no more than 12.5 hours of tutoring credit-information is available from the building A+ Coordinator)
• Score proficient or advanced on the Algebra 1 End of Course Exam, or any higher level DESE approved End of Course Exam in the field of mathematics, additional information may be found on the Department of High Education and Workforce Development website
• Maintain a record of good citizenship and avoiding the use of illegal drugs and alcohol
• Complete and submit a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)

DHEWD Website includes program requirementes, EOC requirements, A+ program funding, etc.

Planning on using A+? Make sure you check out the Metropolitan Community College website.

Visit the Federal Student Aid Website for information on the FAFSA.

The ACT website provides information about registering for the ACT test and gives practice tests.