Skyline expands AP course lineup as students weigh options
Six more Advanced Placement (AP) courses will be arriving at Skyline High School next year, a school defined by its rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) program since opening in 1997. Although there are benefits to expanded course choice, students, faculty, and parents have concerns for student well-being and whether Skyline can effectively maintain both programs.
For the 2026-27 school year, Skyline will offer a total of ten AP course options. Additional courses will include AP U.S. History, World History, Human Geography, English Literature and Composition, English Language and Composition and Calculus BC.
This curriculum expansion carries considerable weight in Sammamish, as the city’s two high schools, Eastlake and Skyline, are known for their rigor and academic excellence. Many families move to Sammamish because of the high-quality education the schools provide. With education being so important in the community, the new changes have captured the attention of local students and families.
Skyline Principal Keith Hennig said the decision to bring AP to Skyline’s curriculum was prompted by the request of parents and students who sought additional class choices and the option to earn college credit in high school.
Although the AP and IB programs are both advanced courses of study that offer college-level classes and credits, the AP program allows students to choose individual AP classes throughout high school.
The two-year IB program focuses more on personal development, writing skills, and an integrated curriculum that connects different subjects together, through requirements for different IB programs such as a Theory of Knowledge philosophical critical-thinking course and a mandatory Extended Essay.
According to College Board, while 79% of public high school students in the U.S. attend schools that offer at least five AP courses, and 139 nations offer AP, IB is offered in over 160 countries, making it more prevalent internationally than in the U.S.
With the addition of more AP classes, Skyline students and staff are engaging once again in what seems like an annual debate about the benefits and pitfalls of hosting both programs at the school, just as when AP classes were first introduced last year.
Skyline sophomore Nainoa Marcus said that although AP classes could increase competition and stress among students, adding them is a benefit for those students who seek to challenge themselves.
“Overall, the addition of AP classes, along with other opportunities such as IB classes, allows for more opportunities at Skyline …and I believe it’s a blessing to have them,” said Marcus.
Christine Boas, an IB English teacher, said she was concerned about whether Skyline will be able to support both the AP and IB programs.
“I feel like it could be very difficult to make both of them really strong. I know our IB program is incredibly strong, and to introduce AP in, I’m just worried that one or the other is going to suffer,” Boas said.
Hennig, the principal, said there is a possibility that Skyline will offer more AP courses in the future.
“Looking ahead, we will continue to review student requests for AP courses and make adjustments to our course offering to reflect student interest and needs,” Hennig said.
