Agricultural Sciences Magnet School coming to Springfield in 2021

(KY3)
Published: Dec. 11, 2019 at 6:51 PM CST
Email This Link
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn

William H. Darr, a Missouri State alumnus, has already helped build a college agricultural education facility for his alma mater located just off Kansas Expressway near the Federal Medical Center.

But after selling his American and International Dehydrated Food companies to a German business for $900 million dollars, he's decided to expand that Missouri State facility with a $6.5 million dollar gift that will go towards a companion small animal education facility for the college and a 16,500 square-foot, six classroom magnet school to serve up to 150 elementary students.

It will allow the state's largest district to give children interested in agricultural-related fields some early hands-on experience.

Despite agriculture being the number one industry in the state, SPS has no curriculum for students in that field except for an FFA chapter at Hillcrest.

But all that is about to change.

"This is an historic day and a day of celebration," proclaimed MSU Vice President for University Advancement Brent Dunn at the press conference announcing the project.

"It's always been a dream of the Darr family to figure out how they can expand those offerings," said Darr Foundation Executive Director Heather Zoromski in explaining why the family got involved. "We were at a Foundation for SPS program when they were talking about the magnet programs and some of us thought, 'Wouldn't it be amazing to build a school?'"

The Springfield school district currently has three other magnet programs. There's the Wonders of Wildlife Learning Facility next to Bass Pro, the Health and Sciences Academy at Mercy Hospital and the Academy of Exploration at the Discovery Center.

"Our students typically spend a year embedded in these schools learning through the lens of whatever particular focus that magnet school has," said Ben Hackenwerth, the Executive Director of Learn Support and Innovation for Springfield Public Schools. "For instance at WOLF (Wonders of Wildlife) it's conservation sciences. At Mercy it's health sciences."

Since agriculture plays a major role in the state's economy, launching a magnet program geared towards that field seemed like a logical step.

"The world of agriculture is the foundation to everything," said Springfield Superintendent Dr. John Jungmann. "If you had breakfast, you sipped a cup of coffee, you had anything to eat today. You put on clothes. All of that comes from the agricultural fabric of our country and our world. But we know that the age of farmers is getting older and we have to inspire the next generation of farmers."

The new school will have a kitchen, greenhouse, lab space and garden.

"We are hoping that we can address a wide spectrum of agricultural-based needs here in the community," Zoromski said. "From food and security, teaching children about food, where it comes from, how to prepare and preserve it. It might be a food hub for the district potentially."

The companion small animal facility for college students will be a 12,500 square-foot building housing a training lab, 12 indoor and outdoor runs, a teaching lab and an observation hallway.

"We feel like that's an important piece for the college as a lot of kids are really engaged with their pets and they want to learn about animal sciences," Zoromski said.

"We're getting ready to build a future of agriculture with our students," Jungmann said in conclusion. "And connect them in ways we never dreamed possible."