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An estimated five-year, $200,000 project will bring the science of hydroponics to all grade levels at the Claysburg-Kimmel School District, according to Claysburg Education Foundation President Richard Allison.
The $200,000 -- provided by Claysburg alumna Karen Barnhart and her husband Mark Barnhart, who owns and chairs Claysburg-based business NPC -- will cover the purchase of a hydroponic educational facility, necessary supplies, energy expenses and associated costs, Allison said.
"Karen and I have always considered it both an honor and a privilege to support education through the foundation and to share our successes with the local community," Mark Barnhart said about their contribution.
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil that utilizes a water-based nutrient solution, Allison wrote in a release. The process has grown popular due to its "efficiency and ability to produce fresh, high-quality crops quickly."
"The Claysburg Education Foundation expresses profound gratitude to Mark and Karen Barnhart for their visionary leadership and steadfast support," Allison said. "Through their generosity, the foundation can further empower students, enrich communities and sow the seeds of a brighter future."
Allison said that the education foundation is searching for other sources of funding to supplement the program, the primary objective of which is to "donate a significant portion of the produce grown to local food banks and cafeterias, addressing food insecurity in the community."
The program won't require the need for additional teachers to be hired, Allison said, as it won't be a traditional, daily class.
"There won't be classes on a daily basis," Allison said. "It will be more sporadic."
Other details, such as how students can sign up for the program or how they will be instructed, are still being worked out, Allison said.
The facility, or "pod -- sort of like a tractor trailer unit," will be built behind the high school on the north end of the complex toward East Freedom, Allison said.
"We're starting with one (pod) and in 12 months, if it's successful, a second will be added," Allison said, noting that there would only be two.
He estimated that the pod would be "up and running within a couple months," guessing May at the latest, and that the $200,000 would cover the costs for five years.
"By that point it is hopefully self-sufficient," Allison said. "There is no burden to the school district."
Allison said that the program will engage students of all ages by offering seed propagation, plant monitoring and harvest activities while also demonstrating the need to eliminate harmful insecticides, understanding waste reduction and financial management.
If planted with only lettuce, one of the hydroponic pods could produce 38,000 heads in one cycle, Allison said. However, half of the first pod would need to be used for seed propagation.
"It really won't all be lettuce," Allison said. "That's the other thing -- the best product mix from an economic standpoint. Something like fresh herbs can command a higher price point."
He said that the pod would be maintained by high school students with interactions from elementary students.
"Our hope is, eventually, depending on the interest, that we could share it with other schools so that they could learn about it," Allison said.
In other matters, the district received an $80,000 grant from the foundation to "create a sensory room for the multi-disabilities support classroom and the Life Skills support classroom in the district," according to a release.
"The donation will provide resources to support students with sensory processing needs and enhance their educational experience," the release read.
Sensory rooms are designed to provide a safe and calming space for students with sensory processing issues, allowing them to regulate their sensory experiences and improve their focus and learning. The sensory room will be equipped with a variety of sensory tools and equipment, including tactile materials, calming lighting and specialized seating to meet the unique needs of each student.
"Every school has a lot of special needs and, in some cases, schools send students to other locations," Allison said. "But we felt we could do a better job if we had adequate facilities and hopefully keep more of our kids at Claysburg."