Saugus board OKs curriculum changes

SAUGUS – The Saugus School Committee voted unanimously Thursday night to make several changes to the high school curriculum.High School Principal Joe Diorio presented the changes to the committee, which include increasing the total number of credits to graduate from 110 to 120 and adding a slew of new classes. These two changes will take effect in 2014.?They currently can earn 140 credits; the students seem to know that, so, unfortunately, they decide not to work hard with those other 30 credits or take a couple of courses not seriously,” said Diorio. “So we met as a faculty and decided to increase it to 120. It still gives them a little bit of wiggle room, but it also adds the emphasis for another 10 credits of electives.”Superintendent Richard Langlois said adding the extra credits will give more “credence” to those classes.?I think that this is a strong move in the right direction,” said Langlois.Among the new classes voted on are Biotechnology, Forensics, Sports Psychology, Harry Potter in Context, Mandarin 3, Music Composition and Arrangement, Stress Management, Foundations of Education and a social studies class focusing on the Holocaust.Diorio said the Harry Potter class will be a reading-based class aimed at getting students more involved in books.One change that will take effect for the upcoming school year is the addition of an extra half-year of Fine Arts. Diorio said this will bring the total credit up to the Race to the Top requirement of a full year of Fine Arts.Director of Finance Sam Rippin gave an update on the school?s budget, and said he projects the FY12 budget will finish fully expended at $25.7 million.Rippin also said there is a new $20,000 grant for kindergarten curriculum on the horizon, and said based on requirements from the Department of Agriculture, lunch prices will have to be increased by 5 cents after raising prices by 10 cents last year.This would bring prices to $2.40 at the elementary level, $2.65 at the secondary level and $3.65 at the adult level.?Even with this increase, we have a modestly priced program for the value we put out,” said Rippin. “We put out nice meals. I wish we didn?t have to increase it, but we really have no choice.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].