Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Career Technical Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Students and teachers push countywide "land lab" plans; board gives endorsement to pursue grants
Summary
FFA students and teachers from Warren County Middle School and Skyline High presented plans for land labs (greenhouses, small livestock, mobile chicken coops), secured small grants and a donated parcel were discussed, and the board endorsed pursuing grants, partnerships and further planning.
Students and teachers from Warren County Middle School and Skyline High School presented proposals on Sept. 17 for land labs — outdoor, on‑campus agricultural learning spaces that would include greenhouses, small livestock (rabbits, poultry, possibly goats), and hands‑on supervised agricultural experiences.
Bella Kaplan, an eighth‑grade FFA officer at Warren County Middle School, described a 26‑page national chapter application and a range of student projects including a vegetable garden, hatched chicks and an "adopt‑a‑bunny" program. "Through our adopt a bunny program, members have taken home rabbits to raise," she said, adding that the chapter earned a national three‑star gold rating.
Lynn Phillips, WCMS ag teacher and FFA advisor, and students highlighted community service projects (more than 500 pounds of apples collected for a local food bank) and a $3,000 Rockingham Cooperative grant to build a mobile chicken coop. At Skyline, presenters described needs for water access and site preparation; teachers noted zoning differences that make animal handling more feasible at some county sites.
Board members and staff discussed logistics — water and electricity to sites, zoning and permitting, staffing and custodial support — and the district noted an unsolicited offer of a 100‑acre farm that could be used in partnership, though details remain to be worked out. District staff and the board recommended moving forward with grant applications, community partnerships and planning steps.
The board gave students and staff an informal endorsement to pursue grants and partnerships and asked for follow‑up items and budget requests to be brought forward through the normal planning and budget cycles.
Next steps: staff will continue grant pursuit (including local endowment deadlines noted in the meeting), check zoning and permitting requirements, and return to the board with more detailed cost and site plans for capital and operational needs.
