PHILLIPS — Mt. Abram High School students will start their second semester with a new course aimed at preparing them for careers in health care.

The SAD 58 board gave approval Thursday night for the addition of a biomedical science course.

“We were lucky enough to hire veteran teacher David Gordon, who has been teaching biology, physiology and anatomy,” Mt. Abram High School Principal Marco Aliberti told the board.

Gordon has taught many years in Kalida, Ohio, Aliberti said, and his expertise in this field of biomedical sciences will be a tremendously valuable asset for high school students.

“I’m very excited about this,” board member Beth Luce, of Kingfield, said. “I wish I was a student so I could take it.”

Students will explore the concepts of human medicine through hands-on projects and research on human body systems and health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, infectious diseases and genetic abnormalities. Students also will investigate how these medical conditions are treated, and will be required to demonstrate high-level critical thinking and problem solving in both independent and cooperative work.

The class is intended for students interested in entering the health care field, Aliberti said, and a prerequisite is a B grade in college preparatory-level biology.

In other matters, Finance Director Luci Milewski told the board she will meet with administrators to start the budget preparation process.

Superintendent Erica Brouillet said she will plan a public discussion at the start of the Feb. 12 meeting to ask if parents and the area communities would like to consider options to offer a prekindergarten class in the three elementary schools.