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Elkhorn Area School District discusses new high-school courses, proposes AP European History

Elkhorn Area School District · December 16, 2025
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Summary

District staff presented three new course proposals, including an AP European History class slated for the 2026–27 course guide, with anticipated enrollment of about 10–15 students and teacher training and staffing considerations.

Speaker 3 presented the high-school course proposals after an in-depth audit of scope and sequences. "From that came these 3 new course proposals and we're gonna have 5 additional certifications and 4 additional transcripts, at my high school," Speaker 3 said, outlining the outcomes of recent departmental work. The first specific proposal introduced was an AP European History course. "It's an AP course offered by the College Board, one that we don't have yet within the scope and sequence," Speaker 3 said.

Officials said the course would not appear in the immediate year but would be added to the course guide for the following school year and was discussed for the 2026–27 registration cycle at the referenced site. Speakers agreed AP courses should run two trimesters so students are prepared for May AP exams; Speaker 3 said the district would schedule the two trimesters depending on demand and calendar constraints.

Enrollment projections were modest. Speaker 3 estimated "probably a section" of "10, 15" students and noted the course would count as an elective rather than a graduation requirement. Staffing and certification were discussed: Speaker 3 said AP teachers typically attend a summer institute to prepare—"that's usually, like, $800 cost in the summertime, and they're there for almost 3 to 4 days"—and Speaker 1 added that DPI license requirements for the subject area still apply. Text and materials costs were described as low per-student (Speaker 3 referenced "about $30, yep, per" item), and speakers said classes will run only if sufficient student requests and staffing exist. The presenters also noted that Gateway modified transcript requirements so an AP teacher might qualify through experience rather than a master's degree in the content area.

No formal vote or adoption of the course occurred during the discussion; this was an informational presentation and planning conversation, with participants agreeing to include the course in future course guides subject to final scheduling, enrollment, staffing and certification requirements.