Black River horticulture class helped her 'get' science

When senior Deseree Moore joined the horticulture program at Black River High School, she had failed most of her science classes.

“I always thought of myself as a failure, before I came here,” she said.

Moore has Asperger syndrome, a form of autism, making it difficult to understand science in a traditional classroom setting.

“No matter how hard I tried, I didn’t get it,” she said.

Her smile was as bright as the purple flowers she carefully repotted for the program’s annual plant sale.

The cross-credit science and career class helped her get the science credits she needs to graduate in January 2011.

Others won’t be so lucky.

The Renton School District’s horticulture program is slated to shut down with Black River High School at the end of the year.

The 32-year-old program is one of several classes being closed and replaced to increase rigor in science next year, said Jay Leviton, director of career and life skills education.

The class would have no longer been offered as a science elective, he said.

“We are looking at offering much more rigorous science options for kids,” he said. “That program just didn’t do it.”

This semester 26 of the 46 horticulture students are special needs. Most of the teens are bused in from other schools with a handful of Black River students attending the morning class, said teacher Carol Grimes.

“The majority of these kids have gone through science programs and haven’t made it,” she said.

With the science credit out of the picture, the program wouldn’t attract enough students, Leviton said.

The district looked at how many students entered the nearby South Seattle Community College horticulture program. Those numbers are negligible, Leviton said.

While science students are interested – Grimes overloaded her classes with six students this semester and turned away seven more – few took the class as a career elective, he said.

“We want to have a program that students want to get into,” said spokesperson Randy Matheson.

Administrators are creating a new focus on career and life skills programs through the building of the Secondary Learning Center on the Black River site.

The center will also combine the alternative programs.

The horticulture program was originally included in the building plans with a new solar-powered greenhouse. Plans changed multiple times before the district decided to close the program in December, Grimes said.

The vision of the center won’t cater to the many at-risk youth at Black River or in the horticulture program, Grimes said.

“I don’t know what they’re going to do,” she said. “Unfortunately, the kids are going to suffer because someone wants to look better.”

Like many of her classmates, Moore was working through family problems when she started the program in the fall.

Her mom lives on the streets, she said. “My whole family is pretty much separated.”

Many of the students have drug problems and some have even admitted to being in gangs, Grimes said, adding that many come angry and upset.

The class is therapy, she said. “A lot of these kids have never accomplished anything in their life.”

The students grow about 10,000 plants annually. The program is hands-on, and the class sizes are small.

“When they come to me, they don’t have any work skills,” she said, pointing to students mowing the lawn and potting plants. “The majority of them go on into college and then get a job.”

The class has inspired Moore to go to college to study floral design, she said. Moore is a senior at Lindbergh High School.

“I’ve always had a passion for flowers,” she said. “I think it (the class) gives everyone hope.”

Contact Renton Reporter Staff Writer Celeste Gracey at cgracey@rentonreporter.com or 425-255-3484, ext. 5052.

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