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Board approves Huntland agribarn project; funding in ISM grant, annual upkeep estimates given
Summary
The board approved construction of an agribarn on land across from the Huntland football field to support the district’s agriculture program; the project is written into an ISM grant and staff provided estimated annual operating costs.
The school board voted to approve construction of an agricultural barn on school-owned property across from the Huntland football field to expand hands-on agricultural instruction for elementary through high-school students.
Board action: The motion to approve the Huntland ag-barn project carried; the motion was made by Mr. Williams and seconded by Ms. Shultz.
Why it matters: Huntland staff described the agribarn as a way to add live-animal, hands-on experience to classroom instruction, support work-based learning and expand community engagement for a program the presenters said includes roughly 85–100 students.
Project details presented: the proposed building footprint is 40 by 60 feet with six stalls, a chicken coop, a multi-purpose stall, a feed/tack area, a concrete wash bay and restroom, gravel drives and about 100 feet of gravel parking. Staff said the barn site sits in a corner of the parcel that previously was a sawmill and had wetlands concerns; engineering input from Tim Little (OLG Engineering) informed the design. Miss Mitchell told the board the project has been written into the district’s ISM grant and approved in ePlan since February 2023.
Operating costs and insurance: presenters estimated annual operating expenses at about $2,600 (insurance $300–$500, water roughly $95, electricity a low-minimum estimate of $33 to perhaps $75). The presenters said Huntland generated CTE/TCEP funds in the prior year (about $314,000 districtwide for CTE last year was cited) and that community members expressed willingness to donate animals and initial feed to start the program.
Discussion and safeguards: board members asked about student supervision during walks across the road to the barn; staff said teacher-supervised walks would take about five minutes and the program would limit indoor barn access to no more than six students for more than 12 hours per week to avoid additional building-code/fire-marshal requirements. Presenters said the plan allows outdoor demonstrations and expansion over time. Mr. Walker and Miss Mitchell emphasized community support and potential donated startup animals; Mr. Walker called the agribarn the “missing piece” for a long-standing ag program.
Next steps: with board approval the project moves forward under the ISM grant and engineering plan previously submitted. Board members asked staff to finalize operational protocols and confirm summer care and staffing arrangements.
