Yes, typical. Our school district is the same. Unfortunately.
Unfortunately, your S will have to work twice more. Take Biology in 9th and Physics at home. If he self studies and takes AP Physics or SAT Physics, and bring this score to school, they shall let him back into the Ap track. Luckily, he really doesn’t need H. Bio for Engineering. Take it as a blessing. He will have an easier year, so he has to double his efforts to self-study Physics. There are several AP classes in Physics, plenty to work on. Most students don’t go far enough into Physics. In other words, AP Physics classes are not impacted, there is no waiting lists in most schools. Teachers will be more than willing to take a good student into AP Physics class. You, probably, missed AP Bio. But you don’t really need it, anyway.