Methuen School Committee adopts 2025–26 Methuen High program of studies, adds CTE pathway and AP African American studies

The Methuen School Committee approved the Methuen High School (MHS) 2025–26 program of studies during its Feb. 10, 2025 meeting, voting to adopt the course catalog after a presentation from district staff and a brief period of committee questions.

Superintendent and school staff described several substantive changes included in the adopted program of studies: a district initiative to seek Chapter 74 CTE designation to add a fifth CTE pathway, moving the Media Production course from fine arts into Career and Technical Education (CTE), adding a sports nutrition elective to level enrollments in the health course sequence, and introducing Advanced Placement (AP) African American studies at MHS.

Committee members and staff said the CTE shift would allow the district to develop an expanded multimedia/broadcasting pathway. The superintendent said media production’s move into CTE is intended to create an unweighted introductory course that allows students to “step outside of their level of comfort” and then pursue weighted honors-level follow-ups. The program memo cited comparative enrollment data from other districts in support of adding AP African American studies.

Committee questions focused on supports for students who previously used MCAS-focused supplemental courses and on access to new and existing programs. School staff explained that the supplemental math sequence (A, B and C) was reorganized: Supplemental C — historically a second-semester course that included MCAS test-prep elements — is removed because of changes to the MCAS requirement; students continue to have access to Supplemental A and B and to academic support labs for additional help. As one staff member said in short, “Short answer, yes,” when asked whether students who need extra math support will continue to be served.

Members raised concerns about equity and staffing for certain courses. Sign language was removed from the program because the district could not find a certified secondary teacher to sustain full-year offerings despite “high” student interest, the superintendent reported. Committee members asked the administration to continue outreach to regional providers and colleges to restore sign-language options if possible.

The committee also discussed the district’s After Dark (CTE) arrangement with Greater Lawrence. Staff said the district bills the foundation budget for enrollment but must pay a tuition difference to Greater Lawrence; current per‑student additional costs were described as roughly $5,500 per student and the program currently serves a little more than a dozen students. Officials said they are monitoring the operating budget to ensure the district can sustain that invoiced difference while claiming the students for CTE enrollment purposes.

The program of studies package also includes an update on the health curriculum. The district described a DESE grant that funded professional development and curriculum work to align health courses with new state standards; staff said the grant supported year‑long PD with an outside vendor (Lighthouse) and identified a teacher leader who led the alignment work.

After questions and discussion the motion to approve the MHS 2025–26 program of studies passed. The motion was made by Member DiZaglio and seconded by the vice chair; the chair called for voice vote and the “ayes have it.”

Why it matters: course offerings determine students’ pathways to college and careers and affect staffing and budgeting. The committee flagged three areas for follow-up — replacing Supplemental Math C for students who need extra help, restoring sign-language options if certified staff become available, and the ongoing budget impact of CTE tuition invoiced by partner providers.

Votes at a glance Motion: Approve Methuen High School 2025–26 Program of Studies. Mover: Member DiZaglio. Second: Vice Chair. Outcome: Adopted (voice vote).