Student-athletes aiming for Division I colleges now have more flexibility when choosing classes at Gretna Public Schools [GPS]. As students select courses for the 2025-26 school year, changes in course naming and coding mean regular-level courses are now recognized as meeting NCAA requirements alongside College Preparation [CP] classes.
Since opening in 1964, GPS’s high schools have offered CP courses. Up until 2022, student-athletes who wanted to play sports at the Division I level were required to take CP classes even if they might have been better suited to take regular-level courses. With this change only occurring two years ago, many students and parents didn’t realize that that is not the case any longer.
“I didn’t know [about the change],” baseball player, senior Trevor Cox said. “The counselors just recommended I take CP classes.”
The former requirement for student-athletes to take CP courses was the consequence of how GPS’s regular-level high school courses were named and coded through the Nebraska Department of Education prior to 2022.
One example of this is how English classes were named. What is currently called English 11 was previously called Applied English, and even though the course description was very similar to what English 11 is now, it had a different course code. College and university admissions offices didn’t know what Applied English meant since it wasn’t a standard course name, so they did not recognize it as a qualified English credit.
“It had to do with the way that it got coded on transcripts,” English teacher Alli Copple said. “Colleges would see ‘Applied English’ and would think, ‘Oh, that’s a lower level [remedial] English, so it’s not high-level skills.’ We’ve changed all of our courses, so as far as getting into college [now], it’s all going to count the same.”
Now that the naming and coding has been changed, students can take either the regular level of a course or the CP level and will still be eligible to attend and compete at Division I schools.
“I think students should have the opportunity to take courses that fit their ability,” counselor Lisa Hatch said. “It is often preferred that students take the CP version of a course in order to experience a faster-paced curriculum and cover more content, which, in a sense means that they may be “more prepared” for the rigor of college. However, the district did just get approval for our non-CP math courses from the NCAA, so students are still able to take these courses and have them recognized.”
While some students like Cox didn’t know about the change, some other students have already taken advantage of switching classes to better fit their needs. Wrestler, junior Ryder Higdon made the switch from some of his CP courses to regular classes and feels it was a good decision for him.
“I have more time to focus on my assignments, to make sure they are done,” Higdon said. “I get distracted easily and don’t use my time wisely. I was in wrestling and it [CP classes] gave me less time to do it. It [switching] helped me. It also gave me more time to focus on Wrestling.”
And while Higdon feels he made the best choice for him, he acknowledges the benefits of taking CP courses.
“CP classes are less hands-on and less help from teachers,” Higdon said. “They make you a little bit more independent and ready for college.”
So, whether students need a little extra help in class, or more time because of sports, changes have been made so they can take non-CP classes and it will count the same in college.