New classes for QHS, QAVC and ECFC; last day of school is May 23

QUINCY — New classes are coming to Quincy High School and the Early Childhood and Family Center and the amended school schedule was passed.

At Wednesday’s Quincy School Board meeting, the board agreed unanimously to adopt new courses for both Quincy High School and Quincy Area Vocational Technical Center.

At QHS, there will be an Accelerated Spanish I/II course in the 2025-2026 year, for freshmen by invitation only. Previously, Spanish I would be taken the year before Spanish II, but the consolidation is necessary because Spanish will no longer be offered at the middle-school level.

School Board President Shelley Arns explained the course would allow “students who are interested in getting to the point of Honors or AP… they can actually get there within their time at QHS.”

At QAVTC, new courses include Horticulture and Emergency Medical Responders. Horticulture will add to the agriculture options and FFA, it will also count as a science credit. The Emergency Medical Responders class will be a semester long course to prepare students for the already-offered Emergency Medical Technical Course. In addition, the Digital Graphics course will be revised so that students can receive a dual credit through John Wood Community College. No additional budget allocations are needed for these courses.

New learning strategies will be used next year at the Early Childhood and Family Center, as well. ECFC will pilot Frog Street Curriculum rather than the Creative Curriculum used for the past 14 years. Frog Street Curriculum will hopefully better meet Illinois Learning Standards, and better prepare students for kindergarten.

The 2024-25 school calendar was also updated and the last day of school for students will be a half day on Friday, May 23.

Arns and Vice President Rachael Petty were both re-elected to their respective positions during Wednesday night’s organizational meeting. On the April 1 election, Petty was re-elected to the board and two previously appointed candidates, Tim Davis and Damion Dodd, were elected for the first time.