During the Feb. 3 work session, the Moore County School Board reviewed updates to the high school course guide.
The Director for Curriculum and Instruction Donna Gephart said they are practicing “forward thinking” under the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) with a revision from Bible course as history class to Bible as history with literary analysis level four English class for the first time in the upcoming 2026-2027 school year.
School board member Ken Benway asked the number of students who currently take the Bible course as a history class, and Gephart said they have 16 enrolled at North Moore High School.
Deputy Superintendent Dr. Mike Metcalf said enrollment might increase, which may open the class for other schools when the Bible course as a history class with literary analysis is offered as an English elective class in the next enrollment period.
Gephart said DPI is considering an English band course, combining grades, such as K-2, 3-5, and beyond, to give students more time to grasp standards.
DPI required a change in title from “beginning” level classes in vocal, orchestra, and band to “novice and developing” level classes.
Students may enter novice and developing classes and later be placed again in novice and developing, or in intermediate, or one of the honors classes, accomplished (previously known as proficient) or advanced classes.
The DPI removed financial planning classes because all students are required to take economics and personal finance required social studies classes to graduate.
Under the revisions, students may receive JROTC Level III Credentialing through leadership classes.
With principal requests from Pinecrest and Union Pines High School, a leadership development course for grades 10-12 was added to the revisions as a general elective.
The online course guide revisions include an added Moore Innovative High School button and a page for Connect Virtual Academy.
The board will vote on the revisions at the Feb. 10 meeting.
To view all topics discussed at the school board meeting, please click here.
~Written by Sandhills Sentinel journalist Stephanie M. Sellers. Stephanie is also an English instructor at Central Carolina Community College. She is the author of young adult fiction, including When the Yellow Slugs Sing and Sky’s River Stone, and a suspense, GUTTERSNIPE: Shakespearean English Stage Play with Translation.
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