Palo Alto Unified School District announced that Foothill Community College will be offering a concurrent-enrollment, in-person multivariable calculus section for PAUSD high school students. Classes will run at Paly on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:45 p.m. to 7 p.m.

This announcement, on Wednesday, May 10, comes on the heels of the May 9 school board meeting. Parents and students expressed concern over the course’s new designation as a concurrent-enrollment, online class rather than a dual-enrollment, on-campus class. They presented an open letter signed by over 400 community members protesting the district’s plan at the time.

According to the district’s Community College Advanced Math Courses FAQ, from 2012-19, multivariable calculus was offered through Cañada College and held at one of PAUSD’s two high school campuses outside of school hours. Since 2020, it has been offered online through Foothill College, also outside of school hours. Thus, the 2023-24 school year will mark a return to an in-person offering of the course on a PAUSD campus.

Unlike previous years, however, multivariable calculus will no longer be offered as a dual-enrollment class, meaning that it will not count toward a student’s GPA. PAUSD cited updated California Department of Education guidelines on dual enrollment as the reason for the change, although some community members have disputed the district’s interpretation of said guidelines. Further discussion on dual-enrollment policy is expected at the June 6 school board meeting.