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Mount Pleasant board signs off on listing new high-school electives as 'pending' including Indigenous ways of knowing
Summary
The Mt. Pleasant board agreed to let district staff list several proposed electives (World Cultures, Peer-to-Peer, Officiating/Refereeing, My Way to Wellness and Native/Indigenous Ways of Knowing) as 'pending board approval' in the course guide so students can schedule them; final approval will return to the board in spring.
The Mt. Pleasant Public Schools Board of Education gave staff consensus to list several new elective courses as "pending board approval" so they can appear in the high-school course guide and students can indicate interest before the board takes formal votes in the spring.
Superintendent Jennifer reviewed a package of proposed electives aimed at increasing student engagement and filling scheduling holes. She said dual-enrollment participation is growing (about 70 students this fall, with roughly 80 projected in spring) and the district hopes new offerings will provide alternatives for students who do not want traditional electives. Proposed classes include World Cultures, a peer-to-peer leadership course, an officiating/refereeing course tied to an MHSSA referee-license curriculum, "My Way to Wellness" (practical food and life-skills), and Native/Indigenous Ways of Knowing.
Christina, introduced as the education director for the S tribe, described the Indigenous course as the product of years of collaboration between tribal educators and Mount Pleasant Public Schools. "This course will allow students to explore educational careers through a cultural lens," she said, and staff noted the syllabus and pacing guides were developed with tribal and state education input and aligned with Michigan Department of Education expectations.
Board members asked whether the electives would be restricted to freshmen. Staff replied the classes would be open to any student but were being prioritized to address schedule gaps fresh students often have. Administrators said early demand estimates—gathered through a pilot listing in the course catalogue—showed preliminary interest (examples cited: 45 students for officiating, about 50 for Indigenous Ways of Knowing) but final section counts will be set after January scheduling with the new Navian system.
The board’s action was procedural: listing the courses as "pending" so counselors can offer them in the scheduling system. The presenters said formal course approvals, with finalized syllabi and any budget requests, will return to the board for vote during the spring PSC (professional study committee) cycle.
Next steps: staff will post the pending electives in the course guide and collect student sign-ups via Navian; PSC will reconvene in spring to bring the courses back for formal approval.
