Highlands to require students to take personal finance, family/consumer sciences courses
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Highlands students, beginning with the Class of 2027, will be required to take two classes that are expected to benefit their lives after high school, administrators said.
The school board on Monday discussed new guidelines from the state Department of Education for students to enroll in a personal finance course and one on family and consumer sciences.
Highlands currently offers both classes as electives.
“Both courses fit nicely into the post-secondary pathways we are creating at the high school,” Superintendent Monique Mawhinney said. “It is a step to connect content at school to applications in the real world.”
The personal finance class will guide students on how to manage money as an adult. Family and consumer sciences will teach basic life skills that are necessary for independent living.
High school Principal Mike Toole said course registration will get underway next week.
There will be two information sessions for parents to allow time for questions and to better understand any curriculum changes.
“The department heads will talk through some of the expectations for high school students,” Toole said.
Class schedules are due by Feb. 26.
Some changes families can expect in next year’s offerings include the potential for courses such as Honors English, creative writing and environment and sustainability.
Toole said several electives will be cut from whole-year offerings to a semester-only. This includes visual arts and gym — basically anything except STEM and foreign language courses, he said.
Board member Bobbie Neese asked whether parents will have the chance to sign off on a student’s final course list. Toole said parental input will be respected, especially for younger students.
The district has been working in recent years to implement a Career and Workforce Readiness Program for all grade levels.
It designs pathways for those entering college, technical school, the military, or the workforce, with the intention to prepare them for life after high school.
“As we pursue the post-secondary pathways, we will look to enhance these courses to ensure students are learning the basic life skills needed to be successful independent adults,” Mawhinney said.