By Laura Mazur
Community Post
Community support. This is what the Marion Local Ag Education Study Group now needs to get its program off the ground.

During the last meeting of the group, which hopes to reinstate agriculture education at Marion Local High School, the group drafted a proposal for submission to the Marion Local Board of Education.
Mark Hardesty, group chair, presented a proposal to the board requesting that such a program be reinstated in the fall of 2009, with the proposal outlining the costs and benefits of the program. The proposal is now in the hands of the board to consider.
“I feel it was very well received,” said Hardesty.
The chair added that he recently received a call from the district's superintendent, Carl Metzger, saying that the board has yet to to discuss the proposal, however.
“That's the way business works. Nothing happens instantaneously,” he admitted. “Our mission at this point is in building community support.”
Mercer County is the number one agricultural county in Ohio and agriculture is Ohio's largest industry. There are 6,500 people in agriculture in Mercer County. Of this number, 2,200 are part of the Marion Local School District.
Members of the study group hope to get community support by placing copies of their proposal to the board in high traffic areas of local businesses such as lobbies and offices for residents to look at, talk about and possibly discuss to school board members.
“I think if we put this out, people will at least get talking,” said Jim Keller, coordinator of the Marion Community Development Organization, who is also a member of the study group.
Group member Dave Osterloh agreed, “This way everyone knows we're doing something instead of everyone just thinking about it.”
In order to start the program in fall 2009, much of the work to get the program off the ground will have to be completed by December of this year. Included in this work is getting parental support, interested students, a teacher and a curriculum to be on track by the time class scheduling comes around in the second half of the school year for the following year.
“There are multiple levels of recruiting we have to do,” explained Hardesty.
Funding requirements for the program would be approximately $50-60,000 for a teacher's salary and benefits. State career-tech funds can be utilized for portions of funding, as well as agricultural engineering could be incorporated into the industrial arts program, which would add to state funding. The former home economics classroom would be adequate to restart the program in. But members pointed out that the community should be informed of the proposed program.
“We need to let the community know this is a new program, not an old ag program,” said study group member Dan Fullenkamp.
A few finishing touches to explain the document are needed before the proposal will go out to community members. But soon, community members will be able to stop in at local businesses and see what may be in store for Marion Local students. The proposal will also soon be up on the MCDO's Web site.
“All we need is a good vocal minority to get the word out,” said Keller.
The next meeting of the group is scheduled for Monday, July 21, at 8 p.m., in the Chickasaw Fire Department's meeting room.