As of the 2027-2028 school year, Glenbrook High Schools will offer an Advanced Placement (AP) Precalculus course for students.

Last year, the district provided the AP Precalculus exam for the first time without having an established class, but now having the class will be an opportunity for students to be better prepared for the test and earn college credit, Phillip Gartner, Math Department Instructional Supervisor, said.

“It’s an opportunity for students to get recognition and credit for their work as a precalculus student,” Gartner said.

The class is challenging, but appropriate for where it falls in the order of courses, Principal Dr. Barbara Georges said. The honors coursework at South is already as rigorous as what the College Board often requires, so students should not have to worry too much when adjusting to class, Georges added.

“It will be a smooth transition and it will be easily approachable for our students to continue the rigorous precalculus curriculum and instruction, but now they will have the ability to attain college credit for that work,” Georges said.

The course had been considered for a couple years, but the development was only now set in motion, Gartner said. The schools were waiting for a time when the district could ensure a successful start of the program in both of the Glenbrooks, Gartner added.

“There isn’t one size fits all, so for some students this could be a great opportunity, but for other students, maybe they don’t feel that it benefits them,” Gartner said. “We want students to have the information and the opportunity.”

The goal of the class is not to change expectations just because it has an AP designation now, Ryan Bretag, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, said. The designation reflects the rigorous learning environment students already experience, while expanding opportunities for recognition, Bretag added.

“Our responsibility remains to ensure students are appropriately challenged and supported, not to create unnecessary pressure,” Bretag said.