I will be curious to see what my S19’s school does with him and his classmates in the advanced track next year, because they offer both Stats and also a Cal III equivalent, but I am unsure which they will expect/allow him to take. Again, for kids interested in STEM, pushing on to the next level in math is likely the better path (because they’re going to have to do it anyway in college), but I know at least a few other kids are like my son and are only taking Calculus BC as a junior because they were smart enough to take Alegbra I as a 7th grader and just stayed on track–at some point they need and want to get off the train.
I feel sorry for any student who is pushed to take Calculus BC as a junior, and then their school doesn’t give them an option to push on. That seems unfair and poor planning on the school district’s part. If the school has the resources to get a kid to that level by junior year they should allocate the resources to take them one step further as seniors.