Palo Alto Unified School District is no stranger to math controversies, and after years of contentious debate, the board has expressed support for offering multivariable calculus at the district’s high schools starting in the 2026-27 school year.
At Tuesday’s PAUSD board meeting, Gunn High Assistant Principal Harvey Newland and Palo Alto High Assistant Principal Rebecca Shen-Lorenson presented a math course offering that would cater to students who have completed AP Calculus BC by the end of the junior year. According to Newland, the course would be weighted on a student’s high school transcript.
“We currently have 69 non-seniors who meet the criteria to take [multivariable calculus],” Shen-Lorenson said.
Dozens of students and community members spoke in favor of the initiative at the board meeting, some holding neon signs that read “MVC PLEASE.”
Palo Alto High junior Diana Senderzon expressed concern over limited spots for high schoolers in the multivariable calculus course at Foothill College.
“We are one of the top school districts in the state, so we should act like it,” Senderzon said at the board meeting. “Don’t cut off opportunities for students who are only trying to further their education.”
Not all community members were in favor of the new course. PAUSD parent Uzma Minhas questioned the intent behind offering multivariable calculus and urged the district to prioritize initiatives that make “a tangible difference,” such as supporting marginalized and underrepresented students. Given the abundance of external opportunities like math clubs and olympiads, she said that the district could reasonably limit such offerings.
“Public schools have a broader mission to provide equitable, free education that prepares all students to become civic-minded individuals,” Minhas said. “Offering college-level courses like multivariable calculus goes beyond this mission.”
The conversation around math placement at PAUSD, especially in regard to multivariable calculus, has sparked community debate for years. In 2023, the district eliminated multivariable calculus and linear algebra as PAUSD courses, citing the 2021 California Department of Education policy that mandated a “fair, objective and transparent” math placement policy. While PAUSD Superintendent Don Austin initially attributed the decision to the court ruling, he later clarified that it was due to the lack of a credentialed teacher.
Currently, students can take multivariable calculus through dual enrollment at Foothill College or twice a week after school at Palo Alto High. The course, however, only appears on high school transcripts as “credit” or “no credit” and does not impact GPAs.
Based on district guidelines, the course would be officially proposed this September and presented to the board for approval in January next year.
The board unanimously expressed support for the initiative.
