Huntley Community School District 158 curriculum staff on Oct. 2 presented four new course proposals it plans to add to the high school course catalog for 2026-27: dual-credit French 4, a dual-credit basic nursing assistant (CNA) course, an AP course in business principles and personal finance, and a publication/ sports-broadcasting production course.

Dr. McRindle (curriculum presenter) said placing a course in the catalog does not guarantee it will run; course offerings depend on student enrollment and teacher endorsements. The district plans to submit the dual-credit French 4 and CNA courses to McHenry County College (MCC) for approval because both will award college credit.

The CNA course has been two years in development. District staff said current students travel to MCC to take the CNA sequence, creating scheduling challenges, and adding a district-run dual-credit section would reduce travel and keep more class time in students’ schedules. The district expects one section per semester initially and said clinical placements will require local health-care partnerships; staff reported about 13–15 students currently travel to MCC each semester and that state rules limit clinical supervision ratios, capping some sections at about 16 students.

The AP Business: Principles & Personal Finance course is a yearlong option intended to provide a deeper curriculum and an AP pathway in finance. Staff noted there could be syllabus adjustments after the first year as the AP framework stabilizes.

The proposed publication/sports-broadcasting course would convert an existing extracurricular activity into a credit-bearing class teaching fundamentals of sports broadcasting, video mixing, and production. Staff said some of the material currently exists as an after-school club and they expect student interest to determine whether the course runs.

Board members asked clarifying questions about eligibility, capacity and clinical sites. Dr. McRindle and high school staff said the CNA course would be open to juniors and seniors and that local long-term care facilities and retirement homes had already expressed willingness to host clinical hours. On French 4, staff said students do not have to be in the Global Academy to enroll and that dual-credit enrollment requires students meet the district's academic eligibility thresholds.

Why it matters: The CNA dual-credit class could expand career-entry options for students and reduce offsite travel; AP and dual-credit courses can support college readiness and reduce postsecondary costs. The proposals will appear on the Oct. 16 board meeting agenda for approval to add the courses to the catalog.

What’s next: Administration will submit the dual-credit course proposals to MCC for approval and present the course-adoption item at the Oct. 16 board meeting. Staff also said they will engage students in course-selection planning in future curriculum work.