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Students and delegate urge support for Southern High—s agriscience pathway
Summary
Delegate Heather Dagnall and two Southern High School students urged the board to protect and expand access to the CASE agriscience program, citing scheduling conflicts, the program—s four-year structure and career-readiness benefits.
Three speakers used the public-comment portion of Wednesday—s meeting to highlight Southern High School—s CASE agriscience pathway and advocate for scheduling and policy choices that preserve student access.
Delegate Heather Dagnall, joining virtually, said she represents District 33C and praised Ms. Echols— work to secure flexibility in the state—s blueprint so Southern—s agriculture program — a four-year pathway that blends college- and career-readiness — continues to operate with needed options. "I just want to uplift that program," Dagnall said, noting the program gives students extended leadership and career opportunities.
Two Southern High seniors also spoke. Kylie Rohrer, a first-year CASE student, said she has been unable to take animal science because of scheduling conflicts with AP Stat and the way the school matrix places CASE classes. Kevin Keaton Jr., president of Southern—s FFA chapter, described repeatedly choosing between AP courses and key agriculture classes and said those tradeoffs deny students access to pathway-aligned coursework and leadership opportunities.
Why it matters: Students and a state delegate framed their comments around equal access to career-and-technical education pathways and the district—s responsibility to avoid scheduling that forces students to choose between advanced coursework and career pathways.
What the board will do: Public comment was recorded and the board indicated it will refer concerns to the superintendent for staff follow-up.
