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Students press committee over course selection, VHS funding and AP/IB availability
Summary
Students raised concerns about dwindling VHS support and whether AP, IB and PLTW courses will run next year; administrators said state VHS funding is not in the governor's budget and the district is exploring virtual options and IB/AP alignment to maintain offerings.
Students at the Quabbin Regional School District meeting asked whether certain elective and advanced courses will be offered next year and pressed administrators about the status of Virtual High School funding and AP/IB course availability.
"When her budget released, it is not there…there's zero funding for it this year," Principal/Administrator (speaker 7) said about the governor's VHS funding. Students said those virtual options matter because some AP and IB classes have low enrollment and may not run; the district said it is exploring virtual offerings, combining IB and AP pathways and working with principals and assistant principals to monitor sign-ups.
One student, Ella (speaker 20), asked specifically about VHS and was told the state had not included the prior VHS support in the current budget but that the House and Senate might restore funding. Committee members and staff encouraged students to consult guidance counselors and use course-selection tools (Naviance, transitioning to MyCAP) to plan transcripts for college admissions.
Committee members also discussed the academic differences and credit recognition between AP and IB. "Some schools give credit for PLTW courses," a committee member noted, and the guidance office said it tracks who receives college credit and provides counseling accordingly.
The discussion also included operational items raised by students — third-lunch meal availability and course scheduling — and the committee asked staff to continue monitoring course numbers as registration closes. No formal action was taken at the meeting; administrators pledged to continue outreach to sustain higher-level STEM and language offerings.
