Francis Howell's board president and superintendent have decided to reinstate the Black History and Black Literature electives. To ensure there's no gap, high schoolers will be able to register for theses classes when enrollment opens in January.
This comes after the school board voted 5-2 to drop the elective courses from the districts three high schools last week. The courses were first offered in 2021 after students complained about discrimination within the school.
Nearly 24 hours after the school board's decision, students created a petition to have the courses reinstated. Students created this petition because they said this removal, "undermines the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion that are foundational in education and in the workforce".
Harper Schneider, a Francis Howell North student who helped start the petition, said she was devastated after the board's decision.
"I was not very happy with the school board for doing this to our students," Schneider said. "Especially because Black history is part of American history, and we need to see diverse perspective."
Schneider is also one of the students who's involved in creating the petition. She said they want this petition to make all students feel seen.
The Francis Howell School District has been facing recent backlash since November, after they did not vote on whether or not transgender students would be prohibited from using a bathroom that matches their gender identity. It is unclear when the policy will come up for a vote upon the board.