NEW BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - The New Bloomfield Schools Board of Education heard a report on the district's vocational agriculture science/FFA program at its regular meeting Thursday.
The district's agriculture education instructor and FFA adviser, Dean Reichel, introduced two FFA members who both qualify to receive their Missouri FFA Association state degrees when they graduate. There are multiple components to the application for a state degree, including a combination of leadership and agriculture projects.
"You have to go above and beyond being a member," Reichel said.
He said two or three other students are on track to qualify for state degrees next school year. Reichel said he wants to further increase enrollment in the district's agriculture education program. Additionally, he wants to increase membership in the school's FFA chapter.
He said he has researched FFA chapters at other conference schools and several have made FFA membership mandatory for students taking agriculture education, usually after the ninth grade.
Most students at New Bloomfield High School take the vocational agriculture science program to fulfill course requirements due to a limited number of course offerings. Superintendent David Tramel said he would prefer to make it mandatory after ninth grade so students who want to take classes in the agriculture education program to fulfill a graduation requirement having to join FFA and pay $20 annual dues.
More than 50 percent of the high school is in the agriculture program, Reichel said.
"We have a good base ... we're going to do nothing but grow," he told the board.
Reichel noted the school is considering charging an activity fee for some courses in the vocational agriculture science program. For example, a welding class fee would cover the cost of the welding rods usd for projects. He said a fee of $25 would be more than adequate for course materials. And, charging the fee for those students would take some of the weight off of the FFA program's budget.
Reichel briefly discussed the possibility of adding a district green house in the future, which could cost $50,000 or more.
As to fundraising for the FFA program, Reichel said he would like to set up an alumni donation fund for past FFA members and New Bloomfield graduates. He said former students often ask him if they can do something to help the current chapter and its projects.
He added he will continue to apply for grants. The Missouri Department of Agriculture recently awarded the district's FFA chapter a $500 Building Our American Communities grant. The FFA chapter will use the money to help fund the next phase of its nature trail project.