MANSFIELD — Mansfield City Schools is starting the next phase of its urban farming and agricultural education initiative with the construction of a new high tunnel.
The school board approved a contract Tuesday night with The Yoder’s Produce INC of Fredericksburg, Ohio to construct the high tunnel. The $30,443.95 fee will be paid with American Rescue Plan funds, according to the contract.
The high tunnel, also known as a “hoop house,” will be built across from the Mansfield Middle School/Mansfield Senior High School campus on Linden Road. The hoop house is slated for completion in time for the 2022-2023 school year.
Senior High’s career technical department will offer an Agricultural and Environmental Systems program for the first time this fall.
CTE Director Nikia Fletcher said the goal is for students to graduate with an industry-recognized credential as an Ohio Certified Nursery Technician.
Fletcher said she believes the program will provide a career pathway that’s relevant to the area.
“It’s important for our county. We’ve got that urban farming bend. It’s important for entreprensuers,” she said. “It fits in with everything that Mansfield and Richland County is trying to do.”
The district has already started offering agricultural courses at the intermediate and middle school level. Students at Malabar Intermediate began growing produce in an on-campus hoop house last fall.
“We’re trying to start younger students on these pathways so that when they get to high school, they have a better sense of what they want to do or who they want to be when they grow up,” Fletcher said.
While the high tunnel will serve a number of career tech students, Fletcher said the facility will be available to all middle and high school classes. It’s also being built to be wheelchair accessible.
In the future, she hopes to expand with raised gardens and an outdoor learning space.
Prospect secretary, high school students honored during board meeting
Also during Tuesday’s board meeting, Prospect Elementary Secretary Allison Weeks was honored as the Every Student, Every Day champion.
Weeks was nominated by Taryn Nall, a school counselor at Prospect. Nall told the board that Weeks has grown during her years in the role.
“She does an excellent job with our students, staff and families. The staff loves her and she handles challenges with grace and expertise. She is an asset, not just a prospect, but to the Mansfield city school district as a whole. So when the school district hired out and not only hired a great Secretary but you guys gave me a new friend,” Nall said.
Seniors Samuel Kime and William Payne were also honored as “Outstanding Tygers.”
Kime earned his Associate’s Degree from the Ohio State University. He began taking high school classes in the 7th grade and has been enrolled in College Credit Plus classes since his freshman year. He took college classes exclusively his junior and senior year and is on track to earn 4 graduation seals.
Payne won his first Ohio Cardinal Conference championship this year at Wooster with a score of 469.50. He finished fifth in Division II 1 meter diving at the state swim meet in Canton. He scored 360.70 points on his 11 dives to become the first medallist for MSHS since 2014.
Payne began earning high school credit as a 7th grader and started taking College Credit Plus classes as a freshman. He will earn his associate’s degree from the Ohio State University in the spring and is on track to earn up to 8 graduation seals.
“William Payne epitomizes the term student athlete,” athletic director Kevin Porter said. Porter noted that Payne will graduate at the top of his class, plays multiple sports and tutors chemistry students.
The board also approved a contract with Mansfield UMADAOP for a consultant to assist students one-on-one and in small groups to deliver character education and / or life skill lessons. The consultant will be paid $32,000. The contract will be paid quarterly upon receipt of an invoice using money from the district’s general funds.
Jefferson said the consultant has been successful at reducing recidivism for the alternative program at Hedges.
