Board approves medieval-studies elective after debate over grade eligibility and timing

The Palmyra Area School District board voted 6-2 on Sept. 11 to approve curriculum committee items that included a medieval-studies elective listed in the high school course catalog for grades 9'12. The decision followed an extended public discussion in which at least one board member and several speakers expressed concern that the course was being offered to younger students without the board or full curriculum reviewers having seen the completed course materials.
Board member commenters said history courses raise different maturity issues than math or language classes and that combining 9th and 10th graders with older juniors and seniors could create age-appropriateness concerns and problems with content and classroom activities. One speaker told the board the district had already scheduled and begun teaching the elective within the first two weeks of the school year and called that timing "very concerning." That speaker recommended the district not enroll ninth and tenth graders in the course in future years.
District administrators said the catalog was presented to the board in November and that the board's prior approval of the catalog authorized scheduling. They said the elective is not a college-level course and that teachers and curriculum staff would monitor and report back on student progress; the district also committed to bring an assessment of how students are performing in the course to the board in October.
Board members asked for a breakdown of students by grade level enrolled in the medieval-studies class; administrators said they could provide that data quickly. Trustees also asked staff to survey neighboring districts to determine whether similar electives are offered to ninth graders.
The motion to approve the curriculum committee consent agenda passed 6-2.