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Wilmington High School presents Program of Studies changes for 2025–26; committee hears first read
Summary
Wilmington High School staff presented proposed changes to the 2025–26 Program of Studies including seven new grade 9 electives, adjustments to prerequisites, pruning of under-enrolled interdisciplinary courses and expanded access via schedule changes.
A Wilmington High School presenter reviewed the Program of Studies first read on Jan. 15, outlining proposed curricular changes for 2025–26 intended to increase student access and consistency across departments.
The proposal follows the high school’s second year under a revised schedule that added an elective block districtwide. The changes would add electives for ninth-graders in English, science, technology and social studies, and replace some numeric grade-threshold prerequisites with “successful completion of the preceding course” plus teacher recommendation; the English department developed a model recommendation rubric intended as an exemplar for other departments.
District leaders proposed pruning several low-enrollment interdisciplinary courses (which had paired English and social-studies cohorts into a single integrated section) and offering some formerly yearlong courses as half‑year electives when appropriate. The presentation noted that AP French and higher-level French/Italian offerings have very low enrollment and that Virtual High School (VHS) remains an option for students seeking languages or other courses the district cannot run in person.
Committee members praised additions such as a proposed local-history course and a journalism elective, and they discussed the program’s broader goals: increasing flexibility for underclassmen to access electives, preserving rigorous standards across CP/honors/AP levels, and clarifying a competency-determination process tied to MCAS and local graduation requirements. Administrators said further work on graduation competency determination will be brought to the committee in early February.
The Program of Studies was introduced as a first read; no vote was taken. Committee members gave detailed feedback and requested follow-up clarifications from school leaders.
