District greenhouse supplies school lunches, expands after $50,000 grant

Sheridan County School District #2 trustees heard an update on the Fifth Street Greenhouse operation and its role supplying school meals, after a presentation by greenhouse coordinator Shaili Cooper.

Cooper told the board the greenhouse’s hydroponic system — installed with support from a specialty crop block grant and local partners — has produced “over 3,000 pounds of lettuce, which is just insane in my head,” and that district schools receive the bulk of that harvest during the school year. She said surplus produce is distributed to community groups, including the Salvation Army Food Bank.

The greenhouse program matters to the district because it supplies fresh produce for school lunches, provides hands‑on learning for students and volunteers, and already has outside funding to expand capacity. Cooper said the program brings students into career‑focused horticulture activities and community volunteers help with regular harvests.

Trustees heard that the hydroponic system was implemented with assistance from local partners including Rooted in Wyoming and Papa Joe’s Produce; Chaney Baer’s horticulture class builds student‑run hydroponic systems; and seed‑starting classes bring elementary students to the greenhouse. Cooper said the program hosted nearly 600 kids this year.

Funding details presented to the board included: initial implementation supported by a specialty crop block grant; an operational grant from the Wyoming Community Foundation that allowed the coordinator position to increase from 20 hours per week to 30; and a $50,000 T‑Mobile grant to add two additional greenhouse bays. Cooper said the T‑Mobile funding should allow the program, by next school year, to add tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and other produce to the district’s salad bars.

Trustees asked about outreach and visibility. Trustee Langton suggested adding signage to advertise how much produce from the greenhouse goes into student meals. Cooper and other staff said they plan to increase outreach to families and the wider community.

Cooper described volunteer support as significant: she said volunteers harvest on Mondays, help transplant and maintain raised beds, and community organizations help during busy projects. The program is also piloting involvement for special‑education students in coming years.

The board did not take formal action on the greenhouse update; the presentation was informational. Trustees thanked Cooper and staff and encouraged expanded communication about the greenhouse’s contribution to school meals.

Looking ahead, staff said greenhouse leaders will continue grant work, expand student programming and implement the T‑Mobile expansion so the district can supply a broader variety of produce to school meal programs by the next school year.