In an about-face sparked by a considerable public outcry and grass roots activism, the Des Moines public school system has capitulated, agreeing to concessions which will allow the local FFA chapter to continue while further details of the school’s ag education program continue to get hashed out.
The Des Moines Public School (DMPS) Board had recently decided to pause the Agriscience Academy program for a year to reconfigure the curriculum. In a statement to students, the school district cited several problems with the ag education program, including a lack of student interest and diversity, and outlined their plan to “correct” it – plans which called for an end to the program’s Agriscience Academy and also threatened the local FFA chapter’s ability to continue.
Yesterday, the Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools and the Director of Central Campus released the following statement to families:
We are proud that Central Campus is one of the nation’s premier career and technical high schools. Its well-earned reputation is due not only to the excellent educational offerings but also to the simple fact that, over the years, it has adapted to the career interests of our students as well as the needs of our community.
For many years, even though we are an urban community, Central Campus has had a vibrant agricultural education program. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. In less than a decade, enrollment in the agriscience program at Central Campus has gone from more than 140 students to just 16 returning for the 2025-26 school year.
Something needs to change in order to once again make this a meaningful offering at Central Campus. This letter is to clarify what will and will not happen during the 2025-26 school year in order to accomplish this goal:
Central Campus will maintain an FFA chapter during the upcoming 2025-26 school year. Students will enroll in independent study in order to work on projects, earn badges, and participate in FFA competitions and events.
Central Campus will also maintain the school’s Greenhouse Manager position throughout next year to oversee that facility. This will enable students as well as the Greenhouse Manager the chance to continue existing and begin new projects.
Central Campus is talking with potential partners, such as the Greater Des Moines Botanical Gardens and the City of Des Moines, about additional uses for the greenhouse during the upcoming year and beyond.
Agriscience classes will not be offered during 2025-26 in order to engage with students, families, and the community to develop a program that will result in an increase in enrollment by better meeting the needs and interests of our students, community, and state.
A steering committee will convene in June 2025 to work on the visioning, stakeholder engagement, and securing of resources for the agriscience program in order to Increase enrollment, improve facility utilization, and better meet community and industry needs.
More than 2,300 students are served at Central Campus, with some programs even having a waiting list for enrollment. The status quo cannot be an option when it comes to the school’s agriscience program. The above steps provide a fair, balanced approach to provide students with an interest in agriculture an outlet through FFA while taking the time to make much-needed changes to the agriscience educational offerings.
As an urban school district, Des Moines Public Schools and Central Campus is positioned to offer an agricultural program that is both vibrant and unique. These steps are a commitment to returning with an improved program that is both attractive to our students and a source of pride for our community.
In response to an earlier decision by the school board to shut down the program, current and former students from the program had asked for help to keep their ag education program running without a pause since ongoing ag education is a requirement for participation in the National FFA Organization.
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