BY STACI WILSON

Two courses are being added back into the Montrose Area High School offerings next year and the district is also looking at the possibility of expanding its advanced placement offerings.

Principal Bill King said many students have requested adding a Foods course into the Family and Consumer Science curriculum.

Anatomy and physiology will also be added back in.

Both course met with board approval at Monday night’s meeting held at Choconut Valley Elementary School.

Mary Potter has agreed to teach the anatomy class.

Quinn Dempsey would likely teach the Foods class.

Dempsey is also the ESL teacher; but Special Education Coordinator Kelli Jo Riker said there is currently one ESL student in the district; and a possible expansion of the school gifted teacher’s role from part- to full-time could allow for that teacher to provide the ESL education, as well as provide more options and experiences for the gifted students.

With several retirements expected in the special education department this year, there would be, in essence, no net increase to the budget.

Board member Richard Jordan asked if any consideration had been given to adding more advanced placement classes.

Vice Principal Eric Powers said an AP History course for sophomores had been discussed but said a Keystone exam in Civics may be added to the state graduation requirements in the future.

He also said that an AP Composition course for juniors was also a possibility. But, Powers added, the current Honors class junior level reading list works well with the AP senior level test.

King said he would love to expand AP offerings for the students. The matter will be explored and ideas presented to the board at the April meeting.

Currently, the district offers six advanced placement courses.

The curriculum course book will be printed with the board approved added courses, and any other future revisions will be made known to students and parents.

The board accepted, with regret, resignations for the purpose of retirement from four teachers: Diane Cronk, Thomas Lucenti, James Fluck and Joseph Festa.

The board expects to receive a few more retirement announcements by the March 15 deadline.

JoAnne McCain was transferred from the position of secretary to the Assistant Principal at the Jr.-Sr. High School, to the position of bookkeeper in the district business office.

Anne Gardner will take the secretarial position.

Resignations were accepted from two support staff employees; and Elise Kurtz was recalled from furlough to a support staff position at Choconut Elementary.

The district is looking at its bonding options. A representative from RBC Capital Markets spoke to the board at the workshop meeting, held prior to the business meeting.

Montrose Area has $435 in debt service currently, according to the presentation. Potential bonding options of $3 million to $5 million were presented that would not raise the district’s debt service.

Bonding could be used by the district to gain the funds for a capital project.

With about an eight week process, in order to make funds available for construction project(s) in the summer break, the board would need to lock in a rate at the April meeting.

The board next meeting will be held Monday, April 13 in the Community Learning Center in the high school.