United High School will be adding some new classes to the curriculum next year. Superintendent Jeff Whitsitt explained how this was made possible:
“We’ve been down a science teacher the last couple years, so we got outside the box a little bit and posted for an ag teacher with science certification. Now, we’re going to be offering some animal science, vet tech, botany, horticulture, that type of stuff,” Whitsitt said.
District 304’s high school also now boasts a staff member that can teach psychology in a dual-credit capacity. This will allow United students to earn credit for college before ever setting foot on a college campus. Whitsitt believes this will be more common in the district moving forward:
“We are in a different time, and as we see some of the attrition with our staff go away, I think some of those dual-credit opportunities are going to be – that’s what electives are going to be for juniors and seniors now. I know there is a financial gain to parents to be able to pull that off. We’re glad to do that. We’ll keep exploring those opportunities,” he said.
Additionally, at United Jr. High School, the district will introduce a technology job coach. This teacher will assist teachers and students to connect technology with the content in their courses and take full advantage of the resources being offered.
written by Jackson Kane
