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Wyndham High proposes dozens of new elective and AP courses; considers credit flexibility
Summary
Wyndham High School presented proposed new semester and AP courses driven by student interest, including zoology, aquarium science, 3D printing and AP geography, and discussed whether some offerings could count toward the district’s math requirement while maintaining graduation standards.
Mr. Karen, presenting on behalf of Wyndham High School, outlined a large expansion of elective and advanced courses driven by student interest and staff capacity. He said many recently proposed classes are student‑driven and that the school has added about 20 courses in three years if proposals are approved and enrollment supports running them.
The presentation lists semester‑long, hands‑on science electives such as zoology, aquarium science, behavioral science, and 3D printing and additive manufacturing. Mr. Karen said "we are proposing some semester long classes in zoology, behavioral science, aquarium science, 3 d printing, and additive manufacturing," and that AP offerings under consideration include AP geography, AP government and AP seminar.
He said the district is exploring how some of these new classes could be acceptable for the fourth math credit—through options like architectural mathematics, applied algebra (project based), or a sports math class—while emphasizing the district does not want to lower standards. Staffing and scheduling tradeoffs were described: the school can reallocate teacher blocks by adjusting average class sizes and using labs to free elective blocks.
Mr. Karen gave enrollment thresholds for new courses (minimum 16 students, target ~20; AP classes expected to run at higher enrollment) and described how some electives replace or rotate with other niche courses. The board thanked him; no vote was taken. Mr. Karen said the team will continue reviewing how AP offerings align with graduation requirements before bringing formal proposals.
