Board approves Pessota middle school course additions so students can finish arts pathways

The Charles County Board of Education on March 24 approved four course additions for the Pessota middle school to allow students entering their third year in arts pathways to complete their sequences.

District staff said the courses — Dance 3, Acting 2 or Stage Production 2 (depending on prior enrollment), and a digital art course in the visual arts pathway — had been reviewed by the Office of Teaching and Learning and vetted against standards, scope and sequence, objectives and assessments. Staff said the courses are necessary for students who started their pathway in sixth grade and need the third‑year classes in eighth grade to complete the pathway.

Pessota representatives said the school previously offered six pathways and reduced to five because of student choice and staffing. Pessota staff told the board that not approving the eighth‑grade courses would leave students with open electives instead of completing the intended scope and sequence and could prompt families to move students out of Pessota to seek other programs.

Board members pressed staff about staffing and enrollment; Pessota staff said teachers are available to teach the courses and that visual art was the most popular pathway with roughly 80 students, followed by theater and dance. The board voted without discussion to approve the courses. The motion to approve was made by Miss Warren and seconded by Miss Butler Washington; the clerk announced the vote as unanimous.

District officials said master scheduling is underway and that approval now avoids enrollment and staffing disruptions for the 2025–26 school year.