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Board discusses low elective enrollment and virtual high‑school option to expand course access
Summary
During the July 22 meeting board members and staff discussed low enrollment in several electives and the possibility of purchasing seats in Virtual High School to increase AP and elective options without large staffing changes.
High school staffing and elective enrollment drew an extended discussion during public comment and the education resolutions segment of the July 22 board meeting.
A resident asked about schedule changes concentrated at the middle school; district staff explained fifth‑grade scheduling adjustments were intended to align minutes of instruction with recommended time allotments and that teacher assignments were shifted accordingly. At the high school, administrators and the superintendent described continued uneven elective enrollment — for example, small enrollments in some AP or language classes — and said they are balancing large art class sizes against smaller elective sections.
To broaden access without hiring multiple full‑time instructors, the superintendent recommended purchasing seats from an external provider, Virtual High School, which offers a catalog of online APs, electives, remediation and credit recovery. The superintendent described Virtual High School as a lower‑cost option that can provide a broad menu of courses to students who can succeed in a self‑paced online format.
Board members asked about minimum class sizes and what happens if approved courses retain only a few students; staff said many electives will run with approximately 10 students but that final enrollment decisions will be made when semester‑two scheduling occurs. One board member asked whether approving course listings tonight obligates the district to run sections with very low enrollment; staff responded that counselors will continue to balance sections and that formal staffing and schedule changes would be managed during the semester change process.
No board votes changed curriculum policy at the meeting; the board approved education resolutions including course listings but the administration will continue to monitor enrollments and recommend staffing adjustments as needed.
