The Keokuk High School will now offer Agriculture as a pathway for students as part of Career and Technical Education (CTE) after the School Board approved it on Feb. 5.
“Agriculture programs work so well within the community, it is not just about the kids that live on a farm, it is a lot about leadership,” Nathan Harrison, KHS principal, said. “You don’t have to be a farmer to be in the agriculture business, the benefits to students are endless.”
The addition was proposed based on the results of a recent interest survey conducted with students in grades ninth through twelfth at KHS, and the results showed a high interest in agriculture. The board also discussed the scholarship opportunities through FFA and the hands-on training that students would get, which would make KCSD competitive with schools that do offer those programs.
The Agriculture program will also open up the offerings in science at KHS. Also, the board approved the addition of a Future Farmers of America (FFA) Chapter.
“Some kids that are interested in FFA are not just interested in agriculture, they just want to belong to something,” Clint Wray, KCSD board president, said. “It is a great opportunity.”
The space for the agriculture program has already been identified at KHS.
