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Minnetonka staff propose new AP and career courses, to be placed on consent agenda
Summary
District staff proposed several new and revised high‑school courses for the next year including AP African American Studies, AP Business with Personal Finance, AP Cybersecurity (industry certification), aviation maintenance, Tonka‑online architecture and zoology offerings, and a fashion merchandising sequencing fix; staff said costs can be managed within budget and the courses will be on the next consent agenda.
Assistant Principal Emily Rosen Rosengren and the districtDirector of Instruction presented seven new or revised high‑school course offerings and several title changes to the Minnetonka School Board at the Nov. 20 study session.
Key proposals include AP African American Studies to satisfy the state elective ethnic‑studies requirement while offering AP credit; AP Business with Personal Finance as one pathway to meet personal‑finance requirements; AP Cybersecurity (an online‑based AP class that the district said will also offer an industry‑recognized certification); a Tonka‑online architecture semester course; a year‑long aviation maintenance TechEd pathway tied to industry partners; a fashion‑merchandising half‑credit to fix sequencing redundancies; and a Tonka‑online Zoology and Beyond course targeted at ninth‑ and tenth‑grade students.
On budget, Rosen Rosengren said the district weighs course costs when proposing additions and that some AP courses carry higher costs, but the cybersecurity AP is low‑cost because it is primarily online. Board members asked whether offering AP designations could deter some students; Rosen Rosengren and other staff emphasized that regular, non‑AP pathways will continue to satisfy state requirements and that the new AP options expand — not replace — other access points.
Staff said the new courses will be placed on the boardconsent agenda at the next regular meeting so they will be available in the upcoming registration guide; the study session was an informational step and the board did not take a final vote at the Nov. 20 meeting.
Board members generally praised the mix of AP and career‑technical offerings and asked staff to watch enrollment and equity of access as the district implements the new options.
