Freeport DME

BUFFALO TWP — Board directors at Freeport Area School District approved final payments for the high school’s completed boiler project, and adopted changes to middle school and high school programs of study during a meeting Wednesday, Feb. 14.

Changes to middle school and high school programs of studies will be implemented in the fall and were recommended by Tim Walters, high school principal, and Renee Bogan, assistant principal at the middle school “after careful consideration and collaboration with the faculty,” their proposal stated.

Moving forward, high school students will not be required to take a public speaking course to graduate. Students must take 22 credits to graduate, lessening the graduation requirement by one credit.

Course additions include two manufacturing classes, a ninth-grade rotation course in health and a contract physical education course that would allow students to track the number of hours taken toward the class with a coach and activity log.

A number of courses were dropped from the high school program of studies due to low enrollment, while others were dropped due to no enrollment.

Intro to Entrepreneurship was removed to accommodate more accounting courses.

Changes for middle schoolers include the addition of an art and design course for eighth-grade students and the extension of an eighth-grade literacy course from one semester to a full year to provide additional English and Language Arts support.

A seventh-grade technology essentials class will be dropped to accommodate two art and STEM innovation courses.

In addition, two courses — Art 8 and Engineering and Design 8 — will be taken by seventh-graders instead of eighth-graders to provide additional support in meeting mathematical and STEELS standards. STEELS — Science, Technology & Engineering, and Environmental Literacy & Sustainability — standards were developed by Pennsylvania Department of Education.

In lieu of a graded course, Jacket Pride Network will be offered as a club.

With the completion of renovations in the high school boiler room, board directors approved final payments for the project Wednesday evening.

Board directors approved $45,071 for general contractor Fred L. Burns Inc. and $8,970 for asbestos abatement undertaken by Hunt Valley Environmental, district business manager Bradley Walker said Thursday.

The total amount paid toward general construction was $232,500. The total amount for asbestos abatement was $80,730.