The Piedmont Board of Education has approved the addition of five new advanced courses for the 2026-2027 school year, a decision that has created a significant divide within the community. While the board voted unanimously in favor of the expansion, many teachers and students argued the move would intensify academic pressure and negatively impact mental health.
Key Takeaways
- Piedmont High School will add two new AP and three new Honors courses to its curriculum starting in the 2026-2027 school year.
- The decision was met with strong opposition from teachers and students, who cited concerns over increased stress and a culture of academic competition.
- School board members defended the decision, stating their goal is to provide more academic choices and prepare students for competitive college applications.
- The debate highlights a broader national tension between offering rigorous academic opportunities and protecting student well-being.
New Advanced Courses Approved for Piedmont High
Following a lengthy four-hour meeting, the Board of Education gave its unanimous approval to introduce five new advanced-level classes at Piedmont High School. The expansion is scheduled to take effect for the 2026-2027 academic year.
The newly added courses include:
- AP Business with Personal Finance
- AP Research (a follow-up to the new AP Seminar class)
- Honors English 3-4 for tenth graders
- Honors Art
- Honors Ceramics
The board also considered other courses that did not make the final list. An AP Modern World History class was removed from the agenda after the history department recommended an Honors alternative instead. Additionally, a proposed AP Cyber Security course was dropped due to insufficient student interest and a desire to focus on humanities offerings.
Piedmont High by the Numbers
Piedmont High School, with an enrollment of 730 students, currently offers 18 AP classes and 15 Honors or dual enrollment courses. In comparison, nearby Acalanes High School in Lafayette has 1,250 students and offers 22 AP classes and nine Honors courses.
Teachers and Students Voice Strong Opposition
The majority of speakers at the board meeting, including educators and students, expressed serious reservations about the curriculum expansion. Their primary concern was the potential for increased student stress in an already high-pressure academic environment.
Educators Warn of an 'AP Arms Race'
Dr. Elise Marks, president of the Association of Piedmont Teachers (APT), urged the board to reconsider what she described as a "mad dash to completely alter the culture of this school." She noted that the typical process for adding new courses takes two years and involves more collaboration with school departments.
"We are asking you to hit the brakes on this mad dash... We care deeply about how our classes impact our students. We see the stress all the time," Dr. Marks stated during the meeting.
Mercedes Foster, an English teacher with 20 years of experience at the school, echoed these concerns. "The anxiety starts when they sign up for classes," she said. David Keller, a veteran AP U.S. History teacher, also spoke about the detrimental effects of what he called "AP fixation" on genuine learning.
Students Fear Worsening Mental Health
Students who addressed the board described a school culture where academic achievement is paramount, often at the expense of well-being. They argued that adding more advanced options would only intensify this pressure.
"At Piedmont, ‘fitting in’ is taking highly accelerated courses and increasing your GPA — being this unachievable student, in my opinion,” said PHS senior Mira Sachs.
The student representative to the board, Hunter Fasteau, delivered an emotional appeal. "If we prioritize high achievement and academic competition, there’s no way we can prioritize student wellbeing and mental health to the same extent," Fasteau said.
The College Admissions Dilemma
A central issue in the debate is the pressure of college admissions. Stefanie Manolo LeClair, the school's College and Career Center Director, explained that selective universities evaluate applicants based on the courses available at their high school. "What I hear them say is ‘we look at you in the context of your school offerings’. If students have an increase in options for APs and Honors, they will take them. It won’t be a choice in their minds," she warned.
Board Defends Decision as a Matter of Choice and Opportunity
Despite the passionate opposition, all board members voted to approve the new courses. They framed their decision as a necessary step to provide students with more choices and ensure they remain competitive applicants for top universities.
School Board President Lindsay Thomasson said the expansion was driven by "significant community interest for many years" to add more accelerated humanities courses to balance the school's strong STEM offerings.
Trustees Address the Culture of Stress
Several trustees acknowledged the concerns about student stress but argued that limiting academic options was not the solution.
"This is an issue with the culture of America and college culture," said Trustee Max Roman. "To be perfectly honest with you, I can not fix that. I don’t see my role as limiting kids’ opportunity."
Trustee Susy Struble added that the intent was to give students with a passion for humanities the ability to challenge themselves earlier. While she heard the concerns about stress, she said she could not "hold off on choices for kids."
Trustee Ruchi Medhekar offered a different perspective on stress. "Stress is a part of life," she said. "The practice of stress — it should be ordered and increasing as you get through different stages of your life." She argued that students need to be empowered to make their own choices and learn to say no, but that the school must provide them with options to compete globally.
The board also held a first reading on a separate proposal to eliminate the graduation requirement for Ethnic Studies, Computer Science, and Health, which would make them electives. A final vote on that change is expected at a future meeting.