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Governor's School for Agriculture seeks funds for meat-processing facility, dorm renovations and staff as enrollment grows
Summary
School leaders asked the Senate K-12 budget subcommittee to fund a $5 million meat-processing facility (seeking $4 million additional), campus renovations including $600,000 for Hester Residential Hall, staffing and security projects tied to rising student numbers and campus repairs.
The principal of the Governor's School for Agriculture told the K-12 Education Budget Subcommittee the school's top capital and recurring priorities include completing a USDA-certified meat-processing facility, renovating a residential hall, and adding staff to support expanding programs and residential capacity.
The school said it received $1 million last year toward a planned $5 million meat-processing facility and is requesting an additional $4 million to finish the project. "We're asking for priority 1, the additional 4,000,000 to finish this project," the presenter said. The facility is intended to train students and serve local livestock producers; presenters said it could generate operating revenue and address a statewide shortage of USDA-certified plants.
Presenters told senators the agricultural school has grown from 33 students at opening to 81 current students and that dorm renovations would add bed space. The Hester Residential Hall renovation request is $600,000 and would add roughly 12–14 beds depending on layout decisions.
Other priorities in the presentation included $2 million for Delisle Hall site work (parking), recurring funding for full-time positions ($430,873) to start tourism/recreation and culinary arts pathways, two residential advisors, a mental-health counselor, $73,485 as a proposed 3% recurring salary increase for employees, teacher step increases ($35,391), and a phase-1 roads paving request covering about 2.1 miles.
Committee members asked about the facility timeline and operations. Scott Mims, director of facilities for the Governor's School for Agriculture, estimated the full state-level process (including approvals) would likely be 2½ to 3 years and that the building could be erected in 4–5 months once that process is complete. "The building itself, I would say it's a year and a half completion date... total with the steps we got through state, a 3 year process, 2 and a half, 3 year process by time," Mims said.
Presenters told the committee they have met with regional technical colleges about possible program partnerships and expect to hire full-time employees to run the processing plant (estimated six full-time employees and additional part-time workers). They described the project as workforce development and economic development for livestock-producing counties near the campus.
The school also summarized other completed and in-progress projects: accreditation status, recent storm recovery after Hurricane Helene, a new greenhouse, a renovated livestock barn, ADA lift installation in the dairy barn (now the Agricultural Heritage Museum), and completed power pole replacements funded by the subcommittee.
Presenters closed by noting the campus fills dorm space quickly after renovations and asking the committee to consider the full docket of eight priorities in their materials.
