Biomedical Student Drops

By Jonas Wilkison

During the start of this school year, a clear problem emerged in the Junior Biomedical Pathway. With over 40 kids in the same class, the large influx of students couldn’t fit in just one classroom and were forced to move to the science lab to accommodate everyone.

The incapacity of students to maintain two senior and two junior classes for the Biomedical Program might have been the cause of this, as well as last year’s round of budget cuts.  After two weeks, the process of the removal of students began. As for the teachers and students, both did not know how students would be dropped, they just knew that it had to happen. Following the removals, the class returned to its intended size, but without some of its original students.

Later the class discovered that the counselors would be cutting kids from the class that were missing any A-G requirements, or failed a past class and needed credits from it. The counseling cuts started drama in the student body. When this was mentioned, the district refrained from cutting students who had their A-G requirements and apologized.

According to Biomedical program teacher Mr. Nixon, “It was never going to be an easy scenario.” From what has been said by Biomed teachers, Nixon and Choy, they aren’t happy with this outcome but understand that it needed to happen.

The teachers wish that this scenario was better communicated to Biomed students. The teachers and students in the Biomedical Pathway faced hard choices with no easy answers, and unfortunately some students are unable to complete the program.