Board approves new course listings: AI elective and Spanish heritage course added to catalog

The North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District approved two new course proposals at its Nov. 25 meeting: an artificial intelligence elective and a Spanish heritage speakers course.

Administrators said the AI elective is a hands-on, project-based technical-education elective that emphasizes ethical, effective use of embedded AI tools such as Google Gemini and related platforms. The proposal described the course as emphasizing applied, project-centered tasks rather than computer-science coding.

The Spanish heritage speakers course is designed for native or heritage Spanish speakers who need to strengthen academic reading and writing skills to prepare for more advanced honors-level Spanish courses and to earn the Seal of Biliteracy. Administrators said the class would support students who have language ability but are developing close-reading and composition skills.

District officials clarified that the courses will be added to the course catalog as potential offerings; they will run only if sufficient student interest is shown. If enrollment meets thresholds, teachers will be asked to develop full curricula, and the district pays teachers for summer curriculum development. The board approved the course listings by roll call.

Next steps: If student interest is sufficient, teachers will develop curricula over the summer to implement the classes in the 2026-27 school year.