School board approves four new high school courses including Construction Math

The School District of Rhinelander Board of Education voted unanimously Monday to approve the addition of four news courses for Rhinelander High School students. The move came after the district's Instruction and Accountability Committee voted March 9 to recommend approval of the courses. Most of the discussion at the committee level revolved around the proposed first-of-its-kind Construction Math course designed to prepare students for careers in the building trades.
The other courses are Introduction to Philosophy,  AP World History, and a new dual-credit Accounting Principles course offered in partnership with Nicolet Area Technical College.
The  Construction Math course is unlike anything currently on the books at RHS — and, according to district staff, at most other high schools in the region. Open to students in grades 10–12, the year-long class blends geometry and applied mathematics with hands-on construction work, awarding students 1.0 credit per semester split equally between math and technology education.
“It’s a neat combination of hands-on and just giving the understanding of the geometric concepts and anything else that might go into estimation — all things so that students can be truly ready for the field,” said Ryan Ourada, the district’s Director of Instruction, told the committee.
The course will be co-taught by a licensed math teacher and a technology education instructor, working collaboratively throughout the week. Some days may focus entirely on mathematical concepts; others will put students to work in the construction space. The flexible structure is still being refined ahead of the fall semester, with the two instructors expected to collaborate closely over the summer.

In 2024, Rhinelander voters approved a facilities referendum that included significant upgrades to the high school’s technology education spaces. Those new and renovated construction labs are at the heart of what makes this course feasible — providing the physical environment where students can apply mathematical concepts directly to real building scenarios.
District staff noted that the upgraded spaces make it “ideal to have more time with students” in a construction setting, giving the course a blend of classroom instruction and applied learning that traditional math offerings cannot replicate.
The course description states that students will strengthen mathematical thinking skills while mastering trade-related abilities including precision measurement, working with fractions, ratios, and proportions, as well as calculating volume and surface areas. Students will also be introduced to material and cost estimating and project planning.
To enroll, students must have completed Geometry or be taking it concurrently. Students must also have completed or be concurrently taking Engineering Materials, the prerequisite Technology Education course. The district views Geometry as a baseline expectation for students headed into any post-secondary pathway, whether workforce or college.
District officials said the course is intended to serve students pursuing youth apprenticeships, those planning to enroll in the district’s Building Trades program, and students entering the workforce directly upon graduation. Looking ahead, the district anticipates the course could eventually earn dual-credit status, pending instructor licensure qualifications.
As for the other courses, it was noted that Introduction to Philosophy  has not been offered at RHS for some time. The half-credit elective will run during spring semester of odd-numbered years and invites students to explore big questions about morality, knowledge, and reality through the work of philosophers including Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and Friedrich Nietzsche.
AP World History will be added as a full year-long offering, running each semester in an A/B section format for 11th and 12th graders. The course spans world events from 1200 to the present, emphasizing the skills and methods used by historians.
A dual-credit Accounting Principles course — offered in conjunction with Nicolet College — will replace a non-credit equivalent currently in the course handbook. Available to students in grades 10–12, the year-long course covers the accounting cycle, QuickBooks basics, and payroll, giving students college credit while still in high school.
With board approval now secured, all four courses will be listed in the RHS course handbook for the 2026–27 academic year. As with all new courses, actual scheduling will depend on sufficient student interest and available staffing, school officials noted. District leadership said they have already polled students and seen strong interest, particularly in the philosophy and construction offerings.
No additional staffing costs are anticipated for any of the four new courses. The primary additional expenses will be textbooks and instructional materials, which fall within the department’s existing budget.