By PAT NEWMAN
pnewman@thecitizennews.com

The door is still open for McIntosh High School's popular humanities program to possibly return in teh future, but for now the program has been dropped for next year, and some students aren't happy about that.

“In four years, it's the toughest class I've ever had... we have in-depth conversations... it should be offered to other students, it means a lot to us,” McIntosh senior Mike Coloney told the Board of Education recently.

About a dozen students expressed their support of the integrated English, economics and government class.

The reason given by McIntosh High School principal Greg Stillions for eliminating the class was the need to maximize the teachers' instructional hours in combination with the increasing number of students and their unit requirements for graduation.

The two-period class typically enrolls about 38 to 40 students and is taught by two teachers. In order to maintain low pupil - teacher ratios, assistant superintendent Stuart Bennett explained earlier that it is important for teachers to equalize the class loads.

“The issue here is to look at the whole school,” superintendent Dr. John DeCotis said. He advised Coloney and the supporters of the class to meet with Stillions to discuss their concerns. “These decisions are made at the school level,” he told them.

Craig Humphrey, one of two humanities teachers at McIntosh, called the decision to drop the class “unfortunate.”

“This is a class that's structured for students who like to see relationships,” he said. This semester, students are involved in a mock campaign to elect a state senator.

Humphrey explained that the two-hour class incorporates literature and what it has to say about politics and economics. He referred to the last portion of the school district's mission statement for support of the program. “The system commits itself to excellence through continued improvement, instructional innovation and high expectations.”

Coloney is the webmaster of an Internet site designed specifically for feedback about the humanities. Comments made by former humanities students can be read at www.illogical.org.

Kenneth Hamner, a McIntosh alum and student at Furman University in Greenville, S.C., wrote a letter to the editor of this paper which appeared March 8 citing the benefits he personally derived from the class.

“I learned how to study for college classes, learned how to do an oral and essay exam, and learned most importantly about myself and society. Without humanities, I wouldn't be the individual I am today who tries to mold myself, the people I love and my society into a better being.”

Stillions and Bennett said the class may return in the future in a different form, but for now, next year's seniors will not have the option of taking humanities. McIntosh is the only high school in the district which has offered it.