With the spring semester only two months away, students had to decide this week whether they will attend school through the Roseville Student Virtual Learning (RSVL) Academy or continue their education through Oakmont by signing up to be on campus. 

Many students that have already made their decision two weeks ago felt pressured to choose to be on campus for the spring semester so that they could continue to take their Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Career Technical Education (CTE) Capstone courses, and/or Health Academy classes.

Although students have already been told that accomodations can be made to ensure that students that are part of IB and Health Academy can continue their programs while staying home, AP students were not explicitly given this option. However, they should have received this option because only a select amount of AP classes will be offered through the RSVLA.

As an AP student, I immediately felt scared and angry that I might not be able to take any AP classes next semester if I chose to do RSVLA. I take my AP classes because I want to challenge myself in subjects that I excel at, and to be competitive for college admissions next year. I know that many other students take these classes for the same reasons.

For instance, AP Literature and AP Government are not being offered through the RSVL Academy, meaning that seniors within the district cannot take an advanced level English or government class unless they choose to go back on campus. These seniors are being forced to choose between their health and their education, which is unacceptable for the school board to put upon students and their families.

In addition to the AP classes that are not being offered through the RSVL Academy, Spanish 4 will not be taught either. This is disappointing for many students, as Spanish 4 is often taken in hopes of getting the Seal of Biliteracy. For seniors who were supposed to take Spanish 4 in the spring, this choice is hard to make because they also have to choose between their health or opening up more possibilities in their future with the Seal of Biliteracy.

The RSVL Academy will also not offer Honors Pre-Calculus as a class for students to take. By taking away the opportunity to take this class, the board is forcing students to make a decision of taking Pre-Calculus through RSVL Academy, which would cause that student to wait longer before taking AP Calculus since Honors Pre-Calculus is a prerequisite for it, or go back on-site to take Honors Pre-Calculus, risking their family’s health and safety, as well as their own.

The RJUHSD school board is forcing students and their families to choose between better academic opportunities that can help students challenge themselves more and show colleges that they were working towards more achievements in high school by going back on-site, or lower the risk of getting COVID-19 by participating in the RSVL Academy. This is unacceptable for the board to put students and their families through. They must expand the course offerings of the RSVL Academy.