For the past 30 years, LT has offered a Philosophy class for students to learn critical life skills. In this class they learn to analyze reading according to the philosophers’ mindsets and discuss diverse ideas. Students were able to study this curriculum until the class was cut for the 2016-2017 school year.

“From that creative side it’s so great to offer these creative [classes] so when a class doesn’t run it’s so many kids missing out on these opportunities,” philosophy teacher Tom Stukel said.

According to Stukel, 19 students signed up for the class and the minimum requirement to run a class is 18. One reason why the class was not approved is because of this tight number of students. Even if only a few students dropped the class, the class could not run with less than 18 students.

“The question is when they create [the schedules],” Stukel said. “It is interesting why they would cancel it before they actually create the schedules.”

The schedules should be created before determining the cancellation of the class, according to Stukel. There is a possibility that the amount of students who signed up for the class stay in the class after schedules are created.

The LT Board of Education takes schedule conflicts and student requests into strong consideration before determining if a class will run or not.

“Every year [the number of electives] fluctuates because it is dependent on students’ requests,” Language Arts division chair Karen Raino said.

Not all classes have become smaller or have been cancelled. LTTV and Radio Arts are both running this year along with other electives previously offered, according to Raino. The cancellation of Philosophy is merely a dip in the Language Arts electives and she expects that the class will run again in the upcoming years.

“[Philosophy] is not running this year because there weren’t enough students who registered for it,” Raino said.

The class has run consistently since 1984 up until this year and Glen Brown taught the class until he retired in 2009.

The required class size is 18-20 according to Raino. The school can chose to run a course depending on whether it is a sequence or capstone course of not. A sequence course is a course that has multiple levels and a capstone course is the last class in the sequence. With a single elective, there can be conflicts with other classes that would bring down the number of students who originally signed up for the class.

“If the course is dropped from LT’s curriculum, students will miss an opportunity to acquire significant skills that are taught distinctively in a philosophy class,” Brown said.

Students learn skills in philosophy that help them think critically. These skills can be used in everyday life.

“Students [taking philosophy] show the ability to analyze and synthesize reading and discussions of diverse and multifaceted, speculative ideas,” Brown said.

Both Brown and Stukel thought the class would would be more likely to run if it were not for the many requirements students must take to graduate.

According to Brown, the cancellation of the class is due in part to the focus on testing.

“We might ascertain that it is because of this ‘same skills’ or ‘one-size-fits all’ approach to curricula that would eliminate a philosophy class because it obviously does not fit in with the punitive high-stakes methodology of today,” Brown said.

Paul Houston, division chair of Global Studies, has not seen a dip in Global Studies electives. Ismael Zamora, division chair of Math and Science, did not respond to LION’s request for information on electives.

Philosophy will continue to be offered at LT in the upcoming years. The formation of the class depends on whether or not students sign up for it, according to Raino.