Northbridge High adds new electives, expands career and technical offerings and introduces new football coach

The Northbridge School Committee on Wednesday received a wide-ranging update from high-school administrators on new course offerings and extracurricular developments and officially heard from the district’s newly hired football coach.

The high-school presentation, led by school administrators, said course changes for next year were driven by a student survey and will include new English electives (Sports and Literature; Film and Culture), children’s psychology, a three-level integrated math sequence, biotechnology and neuroscience offerings, and a beginner American Sign Language course. Administrators also described new foods courses including Mediterranean cuisine, expanded maker-space classes, and an expanded culinary program that will add a second cooking course to meet demand.

“Those are our additions to our program studies for next year,” the presenter said, noting the changes reflect student requests collected by the school’s task force and survey work by staff.

Administrators emphasized that many courses are being offered by existing staff teaching outside traditional licensure areas or via an online vendor for low-enrollment subjects. On the latter, the administration said they will likely use an online platform run by a company that provides a certified teacher on screen while an in-person staff member supports students in the classroom.

The update also covered secondary metrics: the school’s year-to-date attendance was reported at 91.77 percent, a small decline from the same point last year largely blamed on senior absences; discipline incidents requiring at least one day of out-of-school suspension numbered 23 this year versus 22 last year, keeping the district below the cited state average of about 5 percent at an internal rate of 3.9 percent. Administrators said retention is currently projected to affect roughly five students (an estimate that could change before the end of the year).

High-school staff highlighted expanded hands-on CTE opportunities: the culinary program grew enough to justify a second level, and the woodshop is now producing furniture and higher-complexity projects, providing engagement for students previously disengaged from coursework.

The update included a preview event: Boston Dynamics has agreed to bring a demonstration robot to the school later this month for a classroom visit and demonstration related to robotics projects.

In a separate announcement during the presentations, the hiring committee introduced TJ Lucas as the district’s new head football coach. Lucas introduced himself to the committee and outlined prior experiences, including a 2022 state championship and recognition as assistant coach of the year in Connecticut. “I coached at [schools in Connecticut], I won a state championship in 2022,” Lucas said. Board members welcomed him and expressed optimism that he will build on the program’s tradition.

The presentation concluded with a reminder of upcoming senior events, MCAS testing schedules and an invitation for community members to participate in Career Day on May 28 as volunteers to share occupational expertise with middle-school students.

The committee did not take action on curriculum items at the meeting; the updates were informational.