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Board hears first reading on capstone and under‑18 course exceptions to preserve student pathways
Summary
District staff offered a first reading asking the board to give special consideration to capstone and low‑enrollment specialty courses (those under 18 students) so students can complete multi‑year sequences; final approval will return at second reading.
District staff asked the board during a first reading to permit special consideration for two groups of low‑enrollment courses so students can complete multi‑year academic pathways.
Scott Hegarty explained the district groups the requests into capstone courses—final courses in a well‑defined multi‑year sequence—and specialty courses such as television, radio, scuba and other classes where the district has unique facilities and sequencing. “If possible and when enrollment allows, we aim to run capstone courses to ensure that students can complete their academic pathways,” Hegarty said.
Staff said some courses may run with enrollments under 18 when the alternative would interrupt a sequence (for example, aviation or a multi‑course pathway). The district excluded courses that, by design, typically enroll fewer than 18 students (supported classes, special education, multilingual, alternative programs) so the list targets courses where special consideration is discretionary.
Board members asked about course structure and semester scheduling that can produce fractional FTEs. Staff explained semester‑based scheduling and double‑period courses such as teaching internships affect section and FTE calculations. They also noted split campus constraints—some courses show low enrollment on one campus because most students take the same course at the opposite campus.
Staff characterized the item as a first read; the recommendation will return to the board for a second read and formal approval at a later meeting, with any adjustments reflected in the district’s 1.9 FTE instructional allocation discussed earlier.
