Board hears proposal for new workforce-aligned courses, including robotics and drone technology; IB middle years program discussed

Board members discussed proposed additions to the 2025-26 Oklahoma City Public Schools high school course catalogs, including courses described as advanced robotics engineering and drone technology. The courses were presented as part of agenda item 5.01 and staff said the additions align with workforce development initiatives.

A board member asked whether the new courses would be available across the district or only at specific sites. District staff explained the courses align with site-specific programming and partnerships and said they will be offered at certain high schools. Staff identified Southeast High School as the site for both the advanced robotics and the drone technology courses in the provided excerpt. When asked whether students could transfer to another site to take the classes, staff indicated that arrangements could be made through the superintendents office if needed.

Staff said course approvals typically are brought to the board twice a year to accommodate planning and partnership timelines; the district normally brings courses in December for spring course selection but will accept proposals later in the cycle when community or workforce partners request them. Separately, staff and board members discussed the International Baccalaureate (IB) middle years program: officials said the middle years program was aligned to a feeder pattern at CLASS and SAS to support the high school IB program and that the middle years program could be offered at other schools.

The transcript records questions and staff answers but does not include a recorded final vote on the course catalog additions in the excerpt provided.