District may decide to use the land for a bus yard
Morgan Hill – Students and parents alike turned out in force Dec. 20 to tell Morgan Hill School Board trustees they don’t want their farm on the Live Oak High campus turned into a bus yard.
“I wanted to present to you how passionate we are to keep the farm,” Ag Booster President Kris Friebel told trustees. “This is an interactive, intertwined curriculum which meets the A through G requirements, is UC approved … It’s not just about the animals, the kids work on the farm, growing crops, trees; these kids are learning by doing.”
The reason for the uproar is that the district is looking for a place to move its fleet of school buses to, and the acres behind Live Oak High seemed like a viable possibility.
Buses are currently kept at a site they rent from the city on Eades Court, where city vehicles are also housed and maintained.
Superintendent Alan Nishino said last week that there are no definite plans to take the farm yet.
“No decision has been made,” he said. “I don’t think the FFA folks need to be upset.”
Students in the ag program are a part of the Future Farmers of America.
The Live Oak chapter of the group has won many awards through the years, and students came to the board meeting to remind trustees of the importance of the program, they said.
“The FFA has been a part of the Morgan Hill community since the 1930s,” said FFA treasurer Chelsea Tabkey. “The world has changed so much since then, but the FFA still remains a part of the community. It’s a piece of our heritage … It gives students the opportunity to gain knowledge and experience … We gain the leadership skills that we will need in real life.”
Leadership is a big part of the FFA, students said, explaining that the program gives students the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities that don’t all involve agriculture.
But the farm is the heart of the program, students said.
“I came home for the holidays and I was amazed to hear the farm is in jeopardy,” said Marisa Tabkey, a Live Oak graduate who attends Cal Poly. “I was a mediocre student when I got involved with the FFA. Through the hands-on method of raising my lamb, I became interested in working with animals. My grades improved drastically, and I began to reach the goals set for myself. I’m a fourth year animal science student, and as assistant farm manger, I’m responsible for the care for 130 horses. I feel strongly that I would not be where I am today if not for my involvement in FFA.”
Trustees could not address the issue because it was not an item on the agenda. The comments from students and Friebel came during the public comment section of the meeting.
