Curriculum staff presented three proposed high-school courses and a plan to reorganize underenrolled electives into sustained pathways aimed at giving students career-ready skills and richer learning experiences. Emma, the presenter, described a senior capstone in partnership with Project Lead The Way and Rochester Institute of Technology that would require students to research, design and defend solutions to real-world engineering problems before panels of engineers. She also proposed two career-and-technical education offerings — an industry-preparation capstone simulating a digital-media agency and a portfolio-preparation course to produce college- and work-ready portfolios — that would partner with local businesses for authentic projects.

Emma said art-related electives would largely become half-year portfolio courses while other proposed courses would be full-year; some consolidated humanities electives would be offered on alternating years to address fluctuating enrollment. Trustee questions focused on certification and state approval for CTE pathways, whether courses would fulfill pathways such as the Seal of Civic Readiness, and whether dual-enrollment or IB/AP arrangements would continue. Emma said the district is “very close to getting approval for three of them and waiting for the last,” and that dual-enrollment arrangements with Stony Brook University would remain for news-literacy work.

Trustees generally welcomed the approach as a creative alternative to outright cuts, noting that reorganizing electives into coherent pathways can preserve student choice and create opportunities for internships and certifications. Trustee discussion also explored aligning final presentations with business and engineering tracks so students can demonstrate both technical and professional skills. Administration said parent representatives were involved at the curriculum-council stage and that materials about these proposals will be shared with families as the curriculum is developed.

The board approved a procedural motion earlier to move into committee of the whole so the presentation could proceed; no final curricular vote was recorded at this meeting. The administration said, if approved in coming governance steps, curriculum development and teacher preparation would follow before any course runs in the 2026–27 school year. Next steps: administration will continue the approval process with state reviewers and return to the board with the required certification and pathway documentation.