Derry Area's FFA program still on line

More than 40 supporters of the Future Farmers of America at Derry Area High School learned Thursday that there will be no changes to the school's agricultural and horticultural program.

Current and former members of the FFA and their parents attended last night's school board meeting to protest reports that one of two agricultural and horticultural program teachers would be reassigned in the fall because of a drop in enrollment.

But spokesmen for the crowd ended up thanking school officials for supporting the program instead. Assistant Superintendent Roberta Kuhns told them that no agricultural and horticultural classes or teachers would be cut.

'The information you received was very tentative and premature,' Kuhns said. 'We apologize if any undue concerns arose.'

Don Barchesky, who was elected in April as the school's 2001-02 FFA agricultural division president, said the teacher reassignment could have meant three fewer available periods for agricultural and horticultural classes to be offered.

Barchesky, who will be a senior in the fall, said that could have caused cuts in classes such as cooperative work study and internship management.

That could have made it difficult for agricultural and horticultural program students to schedule desired classes and fulfill enough education hours to remain in the FFA.

Barchesky had attended the meeting to make a speech in support of the program, but thanked the school board and administration instead.

'It's true that this might have all been premature, but this department is very dear to us, and we will do what it takes - even if it meant coming here tonight - to keep it,' Barchesky said.

Derry graduate and former FFA member Karen Reed also thanked the board and administration for their continued support of the agricultural and horticultural program.

Reed, of Reed Road in Derry Township, said after the meeting that word had spread among program students in May that a teacher could be reassigned because class sizes had dropped from 15 to 18 students to about a dozen students.

Kuhns confirmed after the meeting that fall enrollment in the agricultural and horticultural program would be about 40 students fewer than it had been three years ago. However, after looking at the entire program and staffing, administrators determined no changes were needed, she said.