Loyal board approves new high school courses
By Valorie Brecht At its last meeting held Jan. 29, the Loyal School Board approved several new courses for the 2025-26 school year, those being: sports entertainment and management (0.5 credit, one trimester); environmental science (0.5 credit, one trimester); astronomy (0.5 credit, one trimester); advanced welding (0.5 credit, one trimester); multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) math intervention (0.25 credit per trimester); MTSS English and language arts intervention (0.25 credit per semester); parents and children (0.5 credit, 3 credits through Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC)); and foundations of early childhood education (0.5 credit, 3 credits through CVTC).
Teachers had the opportunity to submit course proposals, which were then reviewed by administration and submitted to the board for final approval.
The sports entertainment and management class is an elective through the business education department. The two science classes will provide additional opportunities for students who are not planning on pursuing university after high school but still need to fulfill their science credit requirement. These classes are less rigorous than chemistry or physics, for example.
Advanced welding will provide a bridge between the intro to welding course and the college-credit welding course, as the teacher felt students needed more practice before jumping into the college-level course.
The intervention courses are for students who are identified in the FastBridge assessment as needing extra help. They will receive small group instruction and will earn credit for the course as an elective. These remedial courses will not take the place of the math and English classes they will still be required to pass to graduate.
The two family and consumer education classes will be offered at Greenwood with Kristin Jaenke. They will allow students to work in a daycare setting and earn college credit, whether it is a private daycare facility in Loyal or Greenwood, or the Lil’ Dawgs afterschool program in Loyal.
While the board was discussing courses, board president Dennis Roehl asked if there were opportunities for students to earn their commercial driver’s license (CDL) through CVTC or Northcentral Technical College. District Administrator Chris Lindner said the district had had conversations about it, but hadn’t tried it yet. Students in Neillsville have taken CDL training through the CVTC satellite campus there, so that program is set up. Lindner said if there was interest, the school district would have to work with the individual student to see if the course could fit in their schedule.
Board member Kirk Haslow also had a comment. He said he was all for additional curriculum, but wanted to know if the district would have to hire more teachers to offer additional courses.
“No, so I guess going back to that strategic plan, the concern was that we do not have enough courses for kids that are not necessarily going to that higher level four-year college, that we need some more trade courses. So this (environmental science or astronomy) would be taught within our science teachers right now,” said Principal Angie Kollmansberger. “So it’s just an additional offering. It doesn’t mean it’s taking the place of another course.”
Board member Derek Weyer also mentioned that the curriculum committee recently had a good discussion on weighted grades and planned to bring it before the full board at some point.
