Lawrence County lacks the resources to begin the International Baccalaureate Program in its high schools. But the county may have a few students who would like the challenge and prestige of an IB diploma.

A few students from Cullman, Huntsville, Limestone and rural Morgan County also may wish to enroll in the program.

Decatur City Schools received federal court approval last week to allow out-of-district students to attend here. Superintendent Sam Houston said the system would accept up to 80 such IB students.

These students would pay annual tuition of $1,000 plus the estimated $600 fee for the IB diploma program.

Decatur is in its second year of IB with 28 students enrolled at Decatur and Austin high schools. Officials expect more than 100 students for the third year. Including these students would not tax the program while adding more talent to the student pool.

A parochial view of allowing out-of-district students in might be that if they want to come to school here, they should move here. Yet, having these students as ambassadors for Decatur in outlying communities will do nothing but enhance the image of the local school system.

In the long run, that will bring more people to live in Decatur.

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