DEER — The Vocational Agriculture Department's greenhouse on the Deer School campus will undergo repairs and be outfitted to provide students with the opportunity to work towards career and technical education agriculture courses. The greenhouse had fallen into disrepair and has not been used in many years.
The cost to build a brand new greenhouse meeting current state education department standards would cost about $200,000. The Ozark Mountain School District recently authorized construction of a new $258,000 greenhouse on the Western Grove School campus.
The Deer/Mt. Judea School District's Board of Education was informed by its construction manager Richard Johnson that since the project involves an existing greenhouse, new requirements would be waived, and students would be permitted to use the structure.
Richardson told the board via phone call at its Oct. 21 meeting the cost of repairs will total $35,545. The repairs will put the greenhouse in like new condition.
It will receive new fabric, ventilation fans, heater and a water misting system.
The school board's goal is to have the greenhouse ready to use when the spring semester begins in January.
Board members said the greenhouse would be made available to students at both Deer and Mt. Judea schools. The district's vocational-agriculture program is instructed by Keith Perkins.
