Beginning next year, Old Rochester Regional High School will require students to take four years of mathematics.

The ORR School Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved Principal Michael Devoll's recommendation for four, rather than three, years of math — along with other changes in the math curriculum.

In recommending the requirement change, Devoll said many state universities require four years of math. Currently, the majority of ORR students do exceed the three credit minimum.

“At present, we only have five seniors not taking math,” he said.

Devoll said no new teachers would be needed to adjust to the new requirement.

Several additional changes to the math curriculum will help students fulfill the new requirement, said Devoll.

The school will create a two-year algebra 2 course to help students who have difficulty with the class and are, in Devoll's words, “treading water.”

“With the new curriculum alignment, this algebra 2 class is loaded,” said Devoll. The one-year course will still be offered.

Devoll also proposed and the committee approved, two half-year electives, including an "introduction to statistics" course. “The purpose is to give kids more options,”  he said.