The science department is planning to offer an Advanced Biology class and the allied arts department will offer a new Personal Finance class without Capstone next school year after both were approved by the Board of Education.
Biology teacher and science department chair Janet Mulder said the Advanced Biology class was created because the only second-year life science class offered is AP Biology.
Many students don’t want to add another AP class to their schedule, so an Advanced Biology class would cover different material and be more manageable, she added.
Mulder explained the class will focus on plants, botany, human anatomy, evolution and zoology, so it will have a different curriculum from other science classes currently offered.
Mulder said she is hoping the class will be available for students to take next school year, but it’s not guaranteed. Mulder and biology teacher Scott Logsdon would most likely teach the class, she added.
Former high school Principal Kristin Robbins thought it was important to gauge students’ interest before proposing the biology class because the number of students who sign up will determine whether or not the class is offered, Mulder explained.
Mulder added she thinks the Advanced Biology class will expand the horizon for students within their science classes.
“It gives students options and opportunities to further explore life science,” she explained. “It’s looking at some of the areas we don’t normally cover, and it’s not on AP level. It’s for students looking to balance out their schedule who can still take science and enjoy it.”
Mulder said there are no restrictions on when a student takes Advanced Biology.
“Students technically could take Advanced Bio and AP Bio in either order, although there will be a few labs and topics that overlap,” she explained. “The main limitation is that the Advanced Bio course is an advanced science elective for 11th and 12th grade.”
Junior Brooklyn Binksy believes students will benefit from this course because it could break up a student’s schedule, creating more variation since most course options after Chemistry are AP level.
“Having another option is smart for people who don’t want to take another AP but still want to take a challenging and interesting class,” she said.
Along with the Advanced Biology class being introduced, a new Personal Finance class will also be available next year.
Matt Green, the current Personal Finance teacher, said this class is essentially going to be the current Personal Finance curriculum but without the formerly required Capstone project.
“The class is being introduced to students next year because Ohio law now requires that there must be a standalone Personal Finance class,” he said.
Unlike the Advanced Biology course, Green did not need student interest before offering the course.
“Students didn’t have to show interest beforehand because it’s always been a required class,” Green explained.
