Agriculture/FACS program expansion approved by CPS

Melissa Hansen, Agriculture Education and FFA Advisor at Carrington High School, appealed to the school board Tuesday morning for an expansion in agriculture and family and consumer science education.

She prepared a proposal with three options: 1) Hire a second full-time ag instructor, 2) Hire a part-time (5/7 time) ag instructor, or 3) Hire a full-time instructor to be split between ag and FACS.

The school recently completed a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program review with the state, and in the final report the recommendation was made that the school consider hiring an additional full-time instructor in this area.

According to Hansen, the potential to expand has been discussed in the past, but never made it to the board.

Hansen reviewed her justification. Notably, the cooking stations and shop area are “busting at the seams,” Hansen said. She and Mrs. Skadberg split classes into groups to accommodate.

The intro classes for both programs, which students must take before they can advance in either area, are always full. Further, due to scheduling constraints, students are choosing between band and ag, because only one section of each is offered at the same time.

Further, there are only two options for freshmen during first hour, ND Studies or FACS. Skadberg has 24 freshmen in her first hour class sharing four cooking stations and sewing with 13 machines.

The additional staff will allow much more flexibility in scheduling, Weber noted.

With option 3, there would also be room in the schedule to re-introduce a Health Co-op program in partnership with Golden Acres Manor, as well as an introduction to teaching class, giving students the opportunity to get a taste of high demand careers in education and healthcare.

As the discussion continued, it was clear quite quickly which direction the district was headed.

Board member Randy Hooey said that the best overall option was the third, but he was concerned that it would be hard to find someone certified in both areas.

Hansen replied that she was willing to teach the two FACS classes if the instructor they hire prefers to focus on agricultural education or needs time to get certified.

She used Edgeley School as an example. They could not find a FACS teacher several years ago, so they hired a second ag teacher. They teach ag processing and food science to fill the gap for FACS courses.

“I know four people that will apply” for the opening, President Joel Lemer said.

When asked by Wolsky which she would choose, Hansen was quick to respond. Option 3, she said, “because that’s what’s best for our school and our programs.”

Besides opening up options for students in grades 9-12, the additional FTE will also make it possible to offer ag and FACS classes to junior high students.

According to Hansen, 83.3 percent of North Dakota schools have some junior high CTE programming. Carrington currently has none. The district used to offer CTE programming for eighth graders, Lemer said. They rotated through four areas, teaching nine weeks of each. However, that hasn’t happened for several years.

“So many kids have never been over to the Ag building. They just don’t even know what’s there,” Hansen added.

Factoring in reimbursement for CTE provided by the state (28 percent for ag and 17 percent for FACS), the net annual cost to the district for option #3 is estimated at just under $75,000.

“I’m on board for it,” Helm said. “My question is always sustainability.” She suggested a financial feasibility study for the third option.

Business Manager Kimary Edland replied that Hansen’s financial estimates were pretty accurate. The only question mark is the experience level of the staff member they ultimately hire. If he or she has several years of service, the salary will need to be higher.

Hooey made the motion to approve option #3, the hire of an additional full-time instructor to be split 5/7 ag and 2/7 FACS, which had unanimous support from the four board members present. Tonia Erickson was absent.

The board also approved the advertisement for the opening, to be posted soon. It will take two to three years to fully implement the plan, Lemer estimated.

High School Principal Connor Weber has identified a way to recognize students for their success in academics, athletics and activities. He plans to hold a Success Assembly on the first Friday of every month. He shared his slideshow presentation from the December assembly with the board, which included the announcement that new weight equipment for the weight room is expected to arrive in February.

“It’s been a really positive thing,” Weber said, noting that the students were really engaged and excited about the assemblies.

He also highlighted the recent State Student Council went, for which he accompanied 28 students. Sydney Friedt ran for Class B representative.

“She was really well versed,” Weber said. “She was really impressive.”

In other news:

The board approved five open enrollment applications. All are currently attending Carrington Schools under tuition agreements, so this approves their enrollment in future years.

The Nov. 10 storm day will be made up on March 2, 2023.

Helseth is a voting delegate for the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders (NDCEL). The organization recently met and established its platform and priorities for the upcoming legislative session.

Helm will represent Carrington Public Schools on the board of directors for the Initiative for Rural Education, Equity and Economic Development (I-REEED). She recently attended their Rural Education Summit, and the focus is on recruiting and retaining teachers in rural school districts.

The last day of school before the Christmas break is Wednesday, Dec. 21. School will resume on Jan. 3. First semester finals are set for Jan. 10-13.

The next school board meeting is set for Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 4 p.m.