BOARDMAN — Boardman High School will expand its Advanced Placement class offerings to 12 with the addition of a U.S. history AP course.

The expansion is possible because of a $2,000 donation from the Boardman Honda Store as part of the Northern Ohio Honda Dealers Association Community Campaign. The 22 Honda dealers that make up the Dealers Association in NE Ohio chose to focus on education for their annual local giveback campaign, and Boardman was one of 22 districts chosen.

“It’s important to us, as an automobile dealer in this community, to make sure that the school is strong and has what they need,” said Honda Store General Manager Mike Friend. “This is something we can give back and say thank you for everything you do for students and their families in the community that we serve.”

The Boardman Local School District will use the donation to expand its AP scholars program. The district now offers 11 AP classes that give high school students an introduction to college-level classes and enables them to gain college credit before even graduating high school.

“With this donation, we can add a 12th class, AP U.S. history,” Superintendent Tim Saxton said. “Our AP program gives our students an advantage in many ways, preparing them for the rigors of college-level work and learning how to study effectively and budget their time in the process.”

“These classes require extra preparation and training for us as teachers,” said BHS social studies teacher Julie Sturgiss. “I look forward to the intensive professional development that will help me to engage our students in this program, and help them on the path to higher learning.”