A science course on campus has been going through an ongoing discussion about its future. The debate is about whether or not Anatomy and Physiology should be established as an honors level class, rather than an on level class.

“The raging debate seems to be whether we want Anatomy and Physiology to be on an honors level course, as opposed to standard on level science elective,” teacher Laura Lauck said. “Because with it being an honors course we would get the higher GPA for that at least, which, considering the work load in the course, and the content, which is just intrinsic into itself.”

Lauck believes that the science content being taught in the class is a big indicator as to why it should be on an honors level distinction.

“When you’re trying to learn the human body and all the 11 systems that function within that system, there is no way to make that simple, that is not an easy science,” Lauck said. “For the workload that is given to the kids, for the amount of work they have to learn, and memorize, and know, and apply, it just kind of lends itself to that they should get the higher GPA for that, because it is easily on the level of pre ap, if not, an ap course.and its really not fair that they’re doing the workload of that of a pre-AP/AP course, but not getting the credit for that.”

With the class an on level one on paper, many students take this course as a way to ease their schedule, which, according to Lauck, is misleading.

“It’s also very misleading to other students that take it thinking its an on level science elective, and they walk into here and it’s not, and you’re not technically allowed to drop those courses, so they’re stuck in a bad spot,” Lauck said. “It’s just very misleading all the way around having it built as an on level science, when it truly isn’t.”

For many years the class has been debated about its workload to credit ratio, but never actually acted upon by the district itself.

“I’ve been trying for several years now to get district to at least make it an honors level course,” Lauck said. “Get that higher GPA, so that everybody gets what they should get from it, and as well as other kids don’t get into the wrong class by mistake, and then kind of stuck in that situation.”

However changing the level of the course isn’t an easy thing to do as several possible factors would need to be considered.

“For example, what about the kids that already took it?” Lauck said. “Do we go back and grandfather them in, and say now you get the higher gpa, and recalculate? and that’s kinda one of their arguments.”

Nonetheless, other districts have already taken action on this topic.

“I do know, other districts in the state of Texas, not far away, do offer it as an honors level course, and the students do get the higher level GPA.”

Many of Lauck’s students believe it should be made an AP class, if not pre-AP.

“I think it should be an AP class because there’s a lot more homework involved,” junior Ethan Watson said. “There’s a lot like you actually have to pay attentionl; it’s not a blow off class.”

“Definitely I think it should be an AP class, cause there’s a lot of work that goes into it,” junior Macy Edmunds said. “I don’t think it should be an on level class, at least pre-AP, we do a lot of work, and we deserve the credit for it.”