By Jenae Peterson, Austin Daily Herald

AUSTIN — With Riverland Community College’s start to the 2014-15 school year Monday, the college, Austin Public Schools District and Winona State University have come into the second year of the four-year teaching-degree program in Austin.

“As we partnered with Winona State and the Bush Foundation Grant, I think it just became obvious in the things we were doing in terms of teacher preparation,” Austin Superintendent David Krenz said. “This is just a natural next step in what we wanted to accomplish.”

The school district, Riverland and Winona State partnered to create a four-year program that will allow students to receive an Associate of Arts degree through Riverland and a Bachelor of Science degree to teach elementary education through Winona State University — all without leaving Austin.

Students take classes at Riverland for the first two years and then the next two years they will be on site at Sumner Elementary School, taking courses through Winona. Since it is only the second year of the program, organizers won’t see how the on-site classes at Sumner work until fall of 2015.

Sumner Elementary School Principal Sheila Berger is excited for the college students to start being a part of Sumner.

“It’s a great way for our student population to actually see college students and get to know them on a daily basis, so they become really good role models for our students,” Berger said. “At the same time we get to help mold perspective employees that we could someday hire.”

Krenz said the program helps students know early on if teaching is what they really want to pursue.