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NHISD Superintendent Dr. Darin Jolly speaks during his report to board members at the Thursday night board meeting. Staff photo by Todd Kleiboer
BIRTHRIGHT—North Hopkins ISD agriculture teachers presented a possible new plant science class pathway for students at the Thursday night board meeting with a decision to approve likely to come next month.
“We feel confident that we have our ag mechanics pathways in place, and we’ve always had our animal science systems in place,” ag teacher Christin Fortenberry said. “Now that we’re bigger, better and have grown so much, we’ve pushed the plant systems, because the kids love the floral design concept of ag, but we don’t have the higher-up classes.”
According to Superintendent Dr. Darin Jolly, Karen Riddle, who owns the Whimsy Restaurant in Sulphur Springs, offered to donate her hydroponics system to the school, and to make full use of it, Fortenberry said she immediately jumped on making a class pathway for plant science.
“If you could make it a lab-oriented instructional facility with this hydroponics system, we’d be all about it,” Fortenberry said. “We’ve tried to push that as our new thing.”
Hydroponics is “growing plants in a nutrient solution root medium,” according to the United States Department of Agriculture, which means the system uses mineral-laced water instead of soil to nourish crops. Board member Robert McPherson expressed concern about the teachers stretching themselves thin in adding another extensive program.
“If all of us [ag teachers] were in charge of our different systems and took full responsibility of our own pathways, it would help,” Fortenberry said. “We would make sure that those kids were on that pathway and go to that teacher the next year so they can see it through.”
There are some problems with the school’s current greenhouse. According to Fortenberry, it lies in a floodplain, and the lack of ventilation chokes any plants or people inside.
“In April, we walked out there, and it literally takes your breath away because there’s no oxygen,” Fortenberry said. “We couldn’t even grow plants.”
Ag mechanics teacher Justin Asbill said he and his students could do most of the metalwork for a new greenhouse, and when asked by board vice president Brian Lewis if enough students would enroll to justify a new building, Fortenberry was confident.
“There are some kids who do not like to get their hands in dirt,” Fortenberry said. “I feel like they would like this because there’s really no dirt. You’re just dealing with a plant, a root and water.”
No action was taken, and more information along with possible action on approving the pathway may come in the November board meeting.
In other items, Elementary Principal Kodi Wright reported enrollment at 315 and announced the elementary UIL meet this year would be held at the individual schools and would not name a district champion.
“We are going to compare scores just so we know how other districts did this year,” Wright said. “This will allow us to have more of our own students participate.”
Secondary Principal Brian Lowe reported enrollment at 239, and he said students are having some success in online learning, especially after the learning curve at the beginning of the year.
Jolly said the district would not end families’ choice for online learning, stating a student’s situation can be complex. Additionally, the Texas Education Agency said in a superintendent’s conference call that a district could not “ride the fence” on determining what students were eligible for online learning based on grades, according to Jolly.
“I don’t want to say we have it figured out, because it’s a continuous beast,” Jolly said. “We’re trying to get as many kids here [on campus] as possible, but we know some kids need it.”