Three new courses were approved at Pella High School for the upcoming academic year by the Pella School Board this week.

Among the new classes this year are Biotechnology, Entomology: Human Interactions with Insects, and Finite Math. Superintendent Greg Ebeling tells KRLS News each year the board receives recommendations from staff, primarily at the high school, to add new programs.

Biotechnology would be an elective course for mainly seniors interested in advance sciences, including applications in agriculture, microbiology, or medicine. Entomology is the study of insects, and the class would prepare students to understand the importance of the interaction between people and insects in a variety of areas, including agriculture, biodiversity, and human health. Finite Math will be taught by Doug Cutler, and is being installed to help better fit students who won’t be heading on a calculus track later in high school or in college.