Board approves concurrent‑enrollment English and precalculus courses

The West Allis‑West Milwaukee School District board on Feb. 23 approved proposals to offer concurrent‑enrollment English 101 and 102 and a concurrent‑enrollment precalculus course beginning next school year.

Presenters said English 101 and 102 will be offered in partnership with UW‑Milwaukee (3 college credits each), and that precalculus will be offered in partnership with UW‑Green Bay (4 college credits for the full‑year precalculus program). Prerequisites and eligibility criteria were described: English 101 requires English 9/10 and a teacher recommendation (the presenter noted a 2.75 GPA or teacher recommendation per the partner university), English 102 requires completion of English 101, and precalculus requires a B+ or higher in Algebra 2 with trigonometry. The presenters said UW‑Milwaukee credits are broadly transferable to UW institutions except UW‑Madison, which reviews transfer credit on an individual basis. Presenters also noted a $1,000 scholarship opportunity available to students who continue coursework at UW‑Milwaukee.

Board discussion focused on implementation and student notification. Trustees asked whether enrollment would require opt‑in or opt‑out; presenters described a planned communication strategy in which eligible students would be notified and families could opt out if they did not want the concurrent‑enrollment placement. Staff said counselors would hold individual conversations with families and that scheduling and course‑request adjustments would be made before mid‑March.

A motion to approve the course proposals was made, seconded and approved by the board.