Industrial arts, ag ed to merge at Centre
A proposal to offer all vocational shop classes under the umbrella of the agriculture education program was approved May 12 by the Board of Education of Centre USD #397. The proposal was presented by agriculture instructor Cary Granzow.
The board also approved employment of Gaea Wimmer as a second agriculture education instructor. She will receive a 208-day contract. Based on present year calculations, she will receive $30,553, plus $3,200 in paid health insurance premiums. The vacated industrial arts position will not be filled.
Wimmer will graduate this month from Kansas State University with a major in agriculture education. She completed her student teaching this semester at Centre High School under Granzow.
The new vocational agriculture program will function with two teachers working in collaboration.
Superintendent Demitry Evancho said the merger is not a novel idea but will be new to the Centre school district.
"The proposal compliments the primary interests and vocation of a majority of the patrons located in the Centre school district, including those patrons with children in school and those that no longer have children in school," he said.
"This proposal will allow additional time to develop and attend to topics that relate to 'place-based' education, which is an attempt to retain and attract people to reside in the rural and, in particular, immediate area."
Granzow noted that, in the past, his department's focus has been on college-bound students. Under the new arrangement, more emphasis will be placed on those who wish to pursue vocational technical training or enter the work force after graduation.
"It will allow kids to come home and work in the community," he said.
The 2003-2004 school year will be a transition period. Subjects now available in industrial arts will be continued as scheduled with no loss of funding. During the year, these courses will be changed in order to be implemented into the new agriculture education program for the 2004-2005 school year.
Beginning that year, instruction will be offered in two areas: agricultural mechanics and agriscience.
Agricultural mechanics will include: machinery and equipment systems, energy systems, marketing and information systems, structural systems, and environmental and natural resource systems.
Agriscience courses will include: introduction to agriculture, animal science, horticulture science, plant and soil science, food science, vet science, and ag business management.
Granzow assured the board he will acquire the necessary certification to teach all ag mechanics courses.
The Centre High School agricultural education program was begun in 1978. Since then, it has seen many changes. The classroom and shop have doubled in size, new equipment has been added to allow students to develop advanced metal and welding skills, and a greenhouse and lab have been built to accommodate curriculum changes. Two plant sales are held annually with good response from the community.
Currently, there are 80 students enrolled in industrial arts and ag classes.
Granzow, who has been the ag instructor at CHS for 24 years, serves in leadership positions at state and national levels. His FFA students have been successful at district, state, and national levels of competition.
Granzow is quick to point out that the program's success is due to school and community support and good students.
He believes the new arrangement will make the program stronger, more successful, and allow students to better prepare themselves for the changing workplace in America.
