Forestry program proves an early hit at Priest River Lamanna High School

PRIEST RIVER — Grabbing a nearby chainsaw after the first failed to start, Priest River Lamanna forestry teacher Jared Hughes turned to the ribbon stretched across the garage door opening to the district's new forestry building.

After putting on neon orange protective pants, Hughes grabbed a pair of earplugs and protective goggles and turned to the crowd before picking up a small chainsaw.

Turning to a long plank with Priest River carved on the left side, Hughes fired up the chainsaw — or tried to.

"If you guys work in the woods, you know this happens all the time," said Hughes before grabbing a larger chainsaw nearby and cutting the plank in two in less than 5 seconds.

Hughes, who led the charge to establish a forestry career technical education program at the school, welcomed the crowd of community members, industry officials and district staff to a Thursday celebration of the shop's grand opening.

Since receiving a $724,240 Idaho Career Ready Students grant in November 2023, Hughes has worked to build a program where students can learn all facets of the industry. He's looked for equipment, built partnerships and carefully built the program despite a host of challenges, from failed levies and turnover in district leadership.

ICRS allows the state to invest in locally developed career-technical education programs, helping districts create workforce pathways tailored to their community's needs.

At Priest River Lamanna, that vision is taking shape through a new forestry pathway that gives the high school students hands-on exposure to forestry careers.

Hughes' vision for the program is simple: He wants students to have the scientific knowledge, technical skills and equipment familiarity needed to succeed in the region's timber industry.

"Everything you can think about with resources with the forest is what we're doing," he said.

The forestry program has two pathways: natural resources and forest products, including sawmill and logging operations. 

The program aims to be comprehensive. Students will receive industry-level credentials and certifications. The curriculum matches industry standards and includes OSHA, logging safety and a geographic information system pathway. Idaho Career Technical Education skills badges will be available and drone training will also be offered, with an eye toward an FAA license.

The program also includes dual-credit opportunities, job fairs, a North Idaho forestry competition and support from industry partners.

"I'm taking a deep breath because that's a lot of opportunity for our kids from sixth grade to postsecondary education," Hughes told the roughly 100 community members, officials and industry leaders gathered for the event.

The program's start dates back to spring 2023 when Hughes met with several forestry industry leaders, legislators and others about a new grant possibility. The Idaho Career Ready Students program had launched its first round of grants. Would West Bonner be interested in applying?

With the support of the timber industry and school district officials, Hughes got to work. He picked the brains of timber industry leaders and local officials. That feedback helped shape the district's ICRS grant application as well as the program itself, which is proving popular among students.

For Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield, the program exemplifies the locally driven career education the state hoped to encourage.

"What if we created a program where we took off the rules, so to speak," Critchfield said. "What if we allowed our district leaders and our teachers to be creative? What if we took the strings away and said, 'Here's some money so that if you can find business partners and something that's sustainable that your kids enjoy that reflects the values of your community?'

"What could you do if government got out of your way? This is what that looks like."

Looking around the shop, with its attached classroom, outdoor area for larger equipment, Critchfield said the West Bonner program and others like it are what education should be in the state.

"Education should be something that engages kids," Critchfield said. "We talk a lot about math as an example. Well, you can learn math in a book, but math is learned in the shop. Math is learned in the woods. Math is going to be learned in the shop. It's also reading. It's English. It's science. It's all of the subjects packaged together in a way that excites kids about their own learning."

Marie Price, who serves as Idaho Forest Group's director of learning and development, said it was a privilege to be at the shop's ribbon-cutting ceremony. Programs covering both the present and the future will help prepare them for the workforce, both today and tomorrow.

"This project represents exactly what Idaho Career Ready Students envisioned, what we wanted to accomplish, helping communities develop hands-on programs that respond to local needs and local industries and give students meaningful opportunities for their future," Price said.

With the average age of loggers and truck drivers at about 50 years old, projects like West Bonner's forestry program are needed to ensure the industry has workers for the future, Price said.

By working with educators and districts like Hughes and West Bonner, the coalition of interested parties developed a program combining everything from a curriculum to industry support.

"Our legislators and many industry and community partners supported Jared and other schools that are putting together these programs to give students here in Idaho the opportunity to live, work, and grow families right here in their own community," Price said. "Today, we're opening doors for students, families and communities, and for the future of Idaho's natural resources industry."

A member of the original committee tasked with exploring creation of West Bonner's forestry program, Shawn Keough, said the program will make a big difference in the industry and the Priest River community.

Keough, a former state senator and former director of the Associated Logging Contractors, said there is a huge need for the program.

"There's a huge need," she said. "We have trees all around us that are a renewable resource."

Now just a week into the school year, students have responded, eager to be a part of the new program. Of the 250 students enrolled in Priest River's seven CTE pathways, 90 are enrolled in the forestry program.

"I've got kids banging on the door asking when they can be a part of it," Ferguson said. "I have to tell them, 'Slow your roll, Slow down. We'll get you in.'"

    West Bonner County School District Superintendent Kim Spacek listens as Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield talks about the district's new forestry program.
  

    Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield talks about how exciting it is to see West Bonner County School District launch its new forestry pathway at a Thursday ribbon-cutting celebration.
  

    Priest River Lamanna High School forestry teacher Jared Hughes said the West Bonner County School District's new forestry pathway opens a number of career opportunities to students.
  

    West Bonner County School District Superintendent Kim Spacek, left, and Priest River Lamanna forestry teacher Jared Hughes present Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield with a Spartan T-shirt as she attended the school's grand opening of its new forestry program.