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District describes rapid growth at 86‑acre ranch: student projects, producer partnerships and sawmill plans
Summary
The board heard that the district’s 86‑acre ranch is being developed into a hands‑on CTE site with beef and swine units, a district sawmill to supply CTE lumber, portable classrooms scheduled for fall, and active outreach to local producers for internships and partnership funding.
Dr. Luke Browning, the district CTE director, told trustees that the district ranch (86 acres off Bocquipi Road) is rapidly becoming a hands‑on training hub for students.
Browning said the district has established or is developing a beef cattle unit (in partnership with local producers), a swine unit (construction of a main barn is underway), and a district‑owned sawmill that will supply lumber to the district’s construction CTE programs. He described immediate plans to move two portables and restroom facilities to the ranch to enable classroom instruction on the site as early as the next fall semester.
Partnerships and internships: Browning said he is finalizing outreach to local producer groups — including a forthcoming meeting with the Grape Growers Association and follow‑up with Sierra Harvest — with a stated goal of securing partner producers who will operate on the land in exchange for offering internships, work‑based learning opportunities for students, and teacher access for field labs.
Budget and sustainability: Browning said the ranch units are intended to be largely self‑sustaining through the income they generate (livestock sales, product sales) and that staff are pursuing donor and federal non‑matching funds for capital projects rather than drawing heavily on the general fund. Trustees mentioned developer fees and potential bond conversations as additional funding paths.
Representative quote: "We have a ranch. We have animals. We have kids. Why not get students out here quickly?" Browning said during his presentation.
Next steps: trustees were invited to visit the ranch and a board retreat is tentatively planned for June at the site. Trustees also discussed potential use of developer fee dollars for site improvements.
