Incoming Beechwood High School freshmen will choose from 10 career-focused minor tracks when classes begin Aug. 19, part of the Fort Mitchell school's EDGE curriculum framework that guides students toward senior-year internships, research projects or early college credit.
Principal Jessica Pass and Assistant Principal Ashley Ritchie posted the 2026-27 New Student Orientation guide to the district website in early August, outlining the school's academic structure, daily schedule and logistics for families new to the building.
Ten minors, one capstone
EDGE — Educational Design Geared toward Experience — is a Pre-K through 12th grade initiative built with input from more than 100 business partners and six universities, according to a Kentucky Department of Education spotlight profile on the district. The program embeds seven core concepts across all grades, including critical thinking, strategic planning and data analysis.
Freshmen may select one of 10 minor tracks: BioMed, Entrepreneurship, Culinary, Media, Engineering, Informatics, Performing Arts, Environmental, Fine Arts or Education. Choosing a minor is optional. Students who complete three years of minor coursework become eligible for a senior-year internship, dual-credit coursework or independent research aligned to their field.
That senior year culminates in a Defense of Learning capstone, where each student builds a professional website with a staff mentor. About 75% of Beechwood seniors held internships during the 2024-25 school year, the KDE profile noted.
The daily basics
The school day runs seven periods from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with each class lasting roughly 52 minutes. Doors open at 7:20 a.m. Students eating breakfast report to the Varsity Gym between 7:20 and 7:45 a.m.; all students are dismissed to first period at 7:45.
Lunch costs $4. Students eat during an assigned window within their fifth-period block. Families seeking free or reduced-price meals can contact cafeteria manager Rachel Smith or find forms in the high school newsletter.
Every student receives a Chromebook on the first day during first period. Locker sign-ups open that same day through the high school office.
Attendance and absences
Parents get seven excused-absence notes per school year. Starting with the eighth absence — whether partial, half or full day — any missed time is marked unexcused unless the school receives a doctor's note within 48 hours.
To report an absence, a parent must call 859-331-1220 or email [email protected] before the school day begins.
Drop-off, parking and fees
All high school drop-offs happen in the Elementary Lot between 7:20 and 8 a.m. Pick-up at 3 p.m. uses the right-hand lanes along the elementary lot sidewalks. The board-approved student-parent handbook warns that construction may alter traffic patterns during the year; updates will come through Infinite Campus.
Students may park at the neighboring Kroger only in spots marked with a Tiger paw. On-campus parking is reserved for seniors chosen by lottery.
Textbook and consumable fees vary by class. Families will receive an email when fees post in September; all payments run through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. As we reported July 29, the district's technology fee rose to $92 this year.
What's next
Rush Week for extracurricular clubs runs Aug. 24 through Aug. 28. Three counselors serve students alphabetically by last name — Mr. Brinkman (A–G), Ms. Hetzel (H–O) and Ms. Minton (P–Z) — and appointments can be booked on the BHS website. Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Nov. 2.
