RSU 40 board approves multiple course changes, adds AP and a media-literacy class amid funding questions

The RSU 40/MSAD 40 Board of Directors approved a package of changes to Montgomery (Madomet) Valley High School course offerings at its meeting, including moving Government and Economics to year-long formats, adding AP Government for grades 10–12, converting AP microeconomics to a full-year offering, and creating new electives such as a history-of-sports class, a coaching/athletic-administration course and a two-credit media-literacy course intended to work with Lincoln County Television.

The changes were presented by Naomi (staff member), who said the revisions respond to low or uneven enrollment in some semester courses and to the district’s move to a 24-credit graduation expectation. "We have been running Government as a semester course and Economics as a semester course… the teachers asked if they could have the same kids for the full year," Naomi said. She described changes intended to reduce instances where a course would have only two or three students in a subsequent semester and to offer deeper, year-long instruction where appropriate.

Why it matters: board members framed the package as a response to small class sizes…