A group of Triad students in Future Farmers of America (FFA) are asking their district to invest in improved facilities for their program.
Sophomore Allison Harlan said the small size of their current agriculture classroom does not allow students to get the hands-on experience they – and their teachers – desire.
“Most of the time we’re doing (paper) packets… you can’t really learn from something you can’t see or can’t touch,” she said.
Harlan, along with fellow sophomores and FFA members Baylor Perry and Joe Williams, asked the board to consider building a new agricultural complex.
Harlan listed a number of assets they hope the new facility will include, such as: a larger shop space, more storage room, a greenhouse and a place to keep fair animal projects.
Harlan, who shows sheep at the fair, said the ability for students to house their animal projects is crucial. She noted that she lives within the city limits and would not be able to raise sheep, if not for her uncle owning a farm.
She said she wants students who would like to raise animals, but are not “fortunate” enough to have the space for them, to have the same opportunity she does.
Perry and Williams agreed that animal project space is a top priority.
“Any building we build, we’re going to have animals in it some way,” Perry added.
The students presented the board with three options: a dream, intermediate or basic facility.
Their dream facility would be 70-foot by 130-foot by 18-foot.
The complex would have separate class and shop spaces, along with a greenhouse, equipment storage areas and a space to keep animal projects. Additionally, portions of the facility could be used to host community activities.
The intermediate facility would be “almost like what we have but larger,” Harlan said, with dimensions of 64-foot by 64-foot by 16-foot.
While it would still have storage room and space for animals, it would have less classroom space and no greenhouse.
Likewise, the basic complex would have similar “disadvantages,” according to the students, but would provide more storage space and room for animals.
It would be a 48-foot by 80-foot by 18-foot building. Harlan said the existing classroom is “maybe three quarters of this.”
Harlan said an estimate for the construction of the basic complex came in at $110,000 as of last fall, though she noted material and construction costs have since risen.
The group of students proposed adding the agricultural complex to the rear of the existing high school building. Though it may not be actually attached to the building, the current science wing would lead to the complex.
Regardless of which option is preferred by board members, Harlan said any new building would bring a number of benefits to the community.
She said it would help the district build its agricultural career pathway, offer more course options, increase student skills for future employers and serve as a facility for the community at large.
Board member Kyle Huffman, who previously served as an educator and administrator at Triad, said state funding did not cover the creation of the agricultural classroom when the high school was built, which forced the district to pay for it.
“(Our agricultural classroom) has always been undersized for what we need,” Huffman said.
Still, Board member Matt McConnell worried that the project will entail a number of additional costs beyond just construction of the building.
He noted that larger livestock will need pasture areas, while the building will need to be outfitted with any necessary equipment for classes.
The students emphasized that their current classroom has much of the actual equipment they need, but isn’t large enough to use it to its full potential.
“You’ve got a lot of the equipment, you just need the space for the kids to do the work,” said Board member Mike Perry.
The board did not commit to any decision at the time of the meeting, but thanked the students for their proposal and dedication to FFA.