Parents, FFA leaders urge San Marcos Unified to keep floral design in agricultural pathway
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Sign Up Free
Summary
Parents, FFA officers and regional FFA leaders told the San Marcos Unified School District board Nov. 13 that removing floral design from the agricultural pathway would strip about 200 students of FFA opportunities, scholarships and hands-on workplace skills, and asked the board to preserve the program.
SAN MARCOS, Calif. — Parents, students and regional Future Farmers of America leaders urged the San Marcos Unified School District Board of Education Nov. 13 to keep San Marcos High School’s floral design pathway inside the agricultural (FFA) program.
Gretchen Foster read a statement on behalf of her daughter, Kate Foster — the San Marcos High FFA president — saying the floral design class builds leadership and career skills: “I am here tonight to urge you to keep the floral design program within the agricultural pathway because it is so much more than just a class.”
Charlie Foster, president of the district’s FFA program, told the board the horticulture class is the only horticulture offering at the high school and said moving it out of the ag pathway would remove access to FFA for roughly 200 students who prefer plant-based agriculture. “This class definitely prepares students to be future ready,” he said.
Kyle Self, regional president for FFA in Southern California, framed the pathway as part of FFA’s “three-ring model” — classroom instruction, FFA leadership and supervised agricultural projects — and cited research linking FFA involvement with higher academic success and career readiness. “Maintain the San Marcos High School floriculture pathway within the agricultural department,” he said.
Other speakers, including local growers and parents, described workforce connections — nursery management, retail floristry and entrepreneurship — and urged the board to preserve access to scholarship and hands-on training opportunities that FFA provides.
Superintendent Dr. Johnson acknowledged the comments but said programmatic shifts were not on the evening’s agenda and staff would follow up with families and stakeholders. “Staff will be following up with you,” he told commenters.
What’s next: Board members thanked speakers and asked staff to continue engagement; the transcript shows public comment and superintendent acknowledgment but no board action or vote on program placement at this meeting.