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Parents, alumnus urge Muscatine board to keep agriculture classes and staffing
Summary
Three speakers at the Muscatine Community School District meeting asked the board to preserve agriculture staffing and specific courses taught by longtime instructor Dave Tomatich, arguing cuts would harm students’ career pathways and science credit options.
Three community members told the Muscatine Community School District Board of Education on March 10 that planned staff reductions put the high school’s agriculture programs and students’ future opportunities at risk. The speakers asked the board to prioritize retaining experienced teachers and restoring or maintaining courses taught by longtime instructor Dave Tomatich.
The comments came during the public comment portion of the March 10 meeting, when parents and a recent graduate spoke about the importance of the agricultural curriculum and related extracurriculars. “The skills and experiences gained in these classes are essential for his future success,” parent Matt Miller said of his son, describing ag courses as “not just about farming” but as programs that teach “leadership, problem solving, and hands on skills.”
Rochelle Bonebrake, a parent who identified the horticulture 1, horticulture 2 and forestry classes as taught by Tomatich, said those classes “are recognized as science courses, fulfilling crucial requirements for college applications and future scientific studies,” and warned that removing them would create “a gap in our students’ science education.” Bonebrake added that, in her view, the changes would undermine students’ ability to compete for college admissions and scholarships. She said “20 of the 24 seniors” at the most recent agriculture banquet were going into an agriculture-related career.
Camden Furnace, a 2024 Muscatine High School graduate and FFA alumnus, described how the program and FFA competitions prepared him for postsecondary study and employment. Furnace said his MHS ag classes and FFA participation helped him win a seasonal position with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and that he will transfer from Muscatine Community College to Iowa State University to study forestry.
Speakers acknowledged the district’s budget constraints but urged the board to explore alternatives to staff reductions, including community engagement and creative funding solutions. None of the public commenters offered a formal proposal the board voted on during the meeting.
The board continued with the agenda after public comments; the superintendent’s update later in the meeting reiterated that district staffing decisions are being made in the context of state and federal funding uncertainty.
