New math requirements for D-60 in Pueblo

The math requirements are going to change at Pueblo City School District 60.

The school board voted 3-2 in favor of lowering the amount of math credits from four to three in order to graduate with a standard degree.

Board members Rose Holloway and Phyllis Sanchez voted against it.

Sanchez said she felt D-60 was rushing the decision and there wasn’t a lot of input from the people. She suggested giving this more time.

Holloway felt the decision sends the wrong message to students.

“I don’t like it when people tell our students they can’t do it and that it’s impossible and that it’s better to just to reduce the credits to three in math. I think we have to teach our kids that it is possible,” she said.

Superintendent Constance Jones said the change will help more than 200 students graduate this school year.

“This one math credit could stand between them and their diploma,” she said.

Ray Roque is a math teacher at District 60. He said the credit reduction will help him and other math teachers.

“The classes will be a little bit smaller so that will give us more one on one contact with students we can address more students needs,” he said.

The new policy will go into effect in January.

Under the policy, a student can drop math if that student has three credits of math already and wants a standard degree. A student can also take math as an elective credit if that student already has three credits of math.