School committee approves $75,000 grant to launch biomedical Project Lead The Way pathway

The North Andover School Committee on March 12 voted to accept a $75,000 grant from Project Lead The Way to start a biomedical sciences course pathway at North Andover High School.

Kara Larkholme, an instructional coach who led the grant application, told the committee the award will pay for professional development and for equipment, materials and supplies needed to run the new pathway. "We received $75,000 to launch that pathway," Larkholme said, adding that the district will supplement remaining needs with local funds.

Committee members discussed how the biomedical sequence will fit alongside existing computer science and capstone courses and noted that Project Lead The Way courses are nationally recognized and can be designated as advanced coursework by the state. After brief comments of thanks to staff who prepared the application, a member moved to accept the grant and the motion carried unanimously.

The district said it plans to use the PLTW materials in an existing anatomy and physiology course in year one, add a capstone in year two, and phase in an intro to biomedical sciences course aligned to forensics content in year three. Officials said teacher training and equipment purchases will begin this spring and summer, with students expected to enroll in the pathway beginning next school year.

Next steps include implementation planning with teachers and a follow‑up to the committee on anticipated budget impacts as the program expands.