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Minnetonka staff propose new high‑school offerings including AP African American Studies, cybersecurity and aviation maintenance
Summary
District staff presented multiple proposed course additions: AP African American Studies, AP Business with Personal Finance, AP Cybersecurity (industry certification), online architecture, aviation maintenance, fashion merchandising sequencing changes and a Tonka Online Zoology offering; staff said costs will be reviewed and courses will be brought to the consent agenda.
Minnetonka High School and district teaching‑and‑learning staff presented a slate of proposed course changes and additions on Nov. 20 that would expand AP options and career and technical education.
Assistant principal Emily Rosen Rosengren described the proposals: AP African American Studies to meet the state elective ethnic‑studies requirement and offer AP credit; AP Business with Personal Finance as an AP pathway while other personal‑finance options remain available; AP Cybersecurity offering industry‑recognized certification with relatively low online delivery costs; an online architecture elective through Tonka Online; a one‑year aviation maintenance TechEd sequence developed with Momentum industry partners; fashion merchandising to correct sequencing redundancy; and a Tonka Online course titled Zoology and Beyond geared to ninth and tenth graders.
Staff said proposed titles and sequencing changes also aim to reduce transcript confusion (for example renaming ‘‘Higher Algebra’’ to ‘‘Algebra 2’’ and changing ‘‘Power and Energy’’ to ‘‘Power and Engines’’). The district described budget considerations: AP offerings have variable costs (text choices for AP African American Studies, teacher build‑out time), AP cybersecurity is primarily online and lower cost, and staffing and course run‑rates will determine final expenditures. "We will be able to keep those within our budgetary restraints," a staff member said after consulting with curriculum leadership.
Board members and community members praised the mix of offerings and asked clarifying questions about equity of access, AP labeling and scheduling; staff emphasized that personal finance will remain available through multiple pathways, not exclusively as the proposed AP offering. The courses will be presented on the consent agenda at the next regular board meeting to be included in the registration guide.
