Doctor Presidio, chief academic officer, led an afternoon briefing on the annual secondary course approval process ahead of a scheduled Thursday board action. He distinguished standard courses (required to be advertised at every base school) from optional courses (locally determined based on interest, staffing, licensure and facilities) and explained that the Virginia Department of Education maintains the master list of courses that can count toward graduation.

Presidio described pathways for equitable access to specialized offerings: career academies for part‑time enrollment, co‑enrollment when seats are available, and FCPS Online Campus (students may take two online courses free per year). He said the division proposes new CTE options (artificial intelligence, air traffic/aviation maintenance), AP additions (AP cybersecurity, AP business and finance), expanded higher‑level world‑language options and dual‑enrollment alignments with Northern Virginia Community College.

Board members raised operational concerns. Doctor Anderson urged more reporting on who takes which courses and how optional offerings are distributed by region and school; he asked for a listing of school‑site courses that exist only at single schools. Doctor Anderson and others requested clearer enrollment counts, school‑level impacts and timeline clarity for student course selection so families are not surprised when schedules close out. Several members pressed staff to implement a parent check‑off to confirm family review of course selections; staff agreed to close gaps where sign‑off is inconsistent across schools.

Members also discussed equity and program placement. Multiple board members argued for more strategic placement of programs to avoid relying on where there is physical space; staff said they are pursuing layered strategies (online campus, academies, moving some optional CTE courses to standard status) and will present a forthcoming CTE expansion plan. The board expressed interest in using Friday letters and future work sessions to track proposed new courses and enrollment figures.

Staff next steps include posting the full course list on BoardDocs for Thursday’s consent/action item, supplying board members with school‑level enrollment and sunset data for optional courses, implementing a consistent parent sign‑off process this year and providing periodic updates (Friday letter) on new course take‑up and CTE expansion planning.

The board closed the session with thanks to staff and adjourned.