Students and teachers ask board to preserve and expand ag science funding at Southern High

Students and educators told the Anne Arundel County Board of Education that recent line-item funding for the CAES ag science program at Southern High School delivered hands-on learning and leadership opportunities, and they urged the board to maintain and expand that support.

"Thanks to that funding, we were able to get new hydroponic systems," said student Zoe Howes, who described classroom work with aquaculture and hydroponics that allowed students to apply science and technology in a controlled, real-world environment. Madison Sutherland, a junior and FFA sentinel, credited board investment for chapter officer leadership training that included Maryland state FFA teams and asked the board to expand the program to serve hundreds more students countywide.

Several speakers framed CASE expansion as a workforce investment that would prepare students for careers in agriculture, environmental science and skilled industries. The board did not act during the hearing; comments will be part of the public record informing budget discussions.