Next for Neosho schools: Expansion of agriculture programs

Joe Hadsall, The Joplin Globe, Mo.
·2 min read

Jan. 24—NEOSHO, Mo. — After an election package of buildings and the STEAM school gets underway, the Neosho School District will work on growing its program for growing.

The district's agriculture education programs have been targeted for development, with plans to expand the district's buildings and programs. A bond election has been tentatively planned for April 2023.

"One thing we knew when we did the ballot measure last year is that eventually we would have to address our ag situation," Superintendent Jim Cummins said. "We promised them that the next time we went to voters, we would improve the ag program."

Later this year, the district will have a plan to present to board members. In order to get a measure on the April 2023 ballot, decisions will have to be finalized by December.

While a plan has not yet been developed, the needs are well known because of regular meetings among stakeholders. Cummins said the district's ag building was built decades ago, and the tech inside doesn't exactly reflect the tools and resources used in the market today. Complicating the situation is how the building is landlocked on the high school's south side.

But the biggest challenge facing the district is demand.

According to a report given last week to the Board of Education, 475 students have enrolled in ag classes and 269 students are enrolled in the National FFA Organization chapter. A record number of students at the junior high enrolled in the agriculture program, and the school reports a 51% increase over the last four years.

Securing enough teachers has become a challenge, according to the report. This school year, an expansion of students in the freshman sections meant not offering as many programs for older students.

Goals for an upgrade include developing programs to train students for the marketplace, and working with industries that hire ag-educated students. The district seeks to develop students for two- and four-year college programs that meet the region's workforce needs. Additionally, Cummins said a culinary arts program and meats lab could be developed.

Cummins said he expects a price tag to be less than $10 million.

The district is currently in the middle of other construction projects:

—Ground will soon be broken for a 36,130-square-foot performing arts center, which would include expansion and renovation of several classrooms for band, choir and theater students.

—The district is renovating the Haas building into a STEAM-based elementary.

A roughly 43,000-square-foot end zone building was completed last year at Bob Anderson Stadium. It includes locker rooms, concessions, restrooms and an indoor practice space.