Board approves secondary course updates; speech to become dual-credit amid debate over graduation requirement

The Stevens Point Area Public School District board approved a package of secondary course updates for 2025–26 that included course name changes, a new vocal-jazz ensemble class and a pathway to offer Mid-State dual-enrollment credit for the SPASH speech course.

Administrators said two junior-high Project Lead The Way courses will be rebranded as Technology and Engineering 1 and 2 (content and standards unchanged). At the high school, Advanced Marketing was renamed Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Project Life 101/102 were aligned to a formal curriculum for students with special needs, and a lunchtime vocal jazz ensemble called Hoco a Poco will be elevated to a class because enrollment grew during pilot runs.

The board also approved making the existing SPASH speech course eligible for dual credit through Mid-State — an option administrators said they secured by verifying teacher qualifications. The speech change prompted an extended discussion: several board members and community participants defended speech as a stand-alone, skill-focused course that improves critical speaking, persuasion and presentation skills; others questioned whether speech needed to be a graduation requirement or could be embedded across English coursework and offered to students earlier than grades 11–12. Administrators said implementation would not add fees and that dual-credit availability depends on teacher certification and Mid-State processes. The board approved the course updates by motion and voice vote.