Walton Rural Life Center
| Walton Rural Life Center | |
|---|---|
 Walton Rural Life Center (2010) | |
| Address | |
 | |
502 West Main Street [1] , 67151 United States | |
| Coordinates | 38°07′06″N 97°15′40″W / 38.1182786°N 97.2610953°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public, Elementary School, Charter School |
| School district | Newton USD 373 |
| Grades | K to 4 |
| Gender | coed |
| Enrollment | 210 [2] (2015-2016) |
| Hours in school day | 8:00AM to 3:10PM |
| Campus type | Rural |
| Website | w-usd373-ks |
Walton Rural Life Center was an agricultural charter elementary school in Walton, Kansas, United States,[3][4] and operated by Newton USD 373 public school district. During the 2015–2016 school year, there were 210 students at Walton Rural Life Center.[2] They taught students from kindergarten to 4th grade, and there were two classes for each grade.[2] In 2023, the Newton Board of Education voted to close the school due to declining enrollment in the district.[5]
History
[edit]Walton Public Schools provided elementary, junior high, and high school education for decades before it merged with Newton USD 373 public school district.[4] In 2006, the Walton Elementary School was converted into the Walton Rural Life Center charter school.
Academics
[edit]Walton Rural Life Center was one out of two charter schools that is agriculture-based, the other one being a school in Ohio.[3] Walton Rural Life Center also taught its students about math, science, agriculture, reducing, reusing, and composting.[3]
Walton Rural Life Center was the first public elementary school in the United States to add agriculture to its curriculum. The teachers design projects based on subjects that interest the students. Math, science, and agriculture were the main concepts studied. Instead of reading from a textbook, students experienced hands-on learning. The school had farm animals, and Kindergarten through fourth graders took turns doing chores and feeding the animals.[6] For example, the students gathered eggs, cleaned them, and checked them for cracks. When this was all done, they sold the eggs and decided what to do with the money they earned. The school also had a greenhouse where the students grew flowers, plants, and vegetables.[7]
Film
[edit]Using Agriculture to Spur Achievement : The Walton 21st Century Rural Life Center,[8] 2011, U.S. Department of Education filmed a documentary at the Walton 21st Century Rural Life Center charter elementary school in November 2010.[9] The crew also interviewed farm families, teachers, students, and community members. The resulting video was featured on their website, highlighting the center as a best practices model of innovation in education.[10][11]
References
[edit]- ^ "U.S. Board on Geographic Names | U.S. Geological Survey". www.usgs.gov.
- ^ a b c "Video: Sunflower Journeys 2808 | Watch KTWU Sunflower Journeys Online | KTWU/Channel 11 Video". watch.ktwu.org. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
- ^ a b c Murphy, Kevin (2013-02-16). "Farm Theme Boosts Enrollment in Rural Kansas School." Reuters.com. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
- ^ a b Meyer, Gene (2013-06-05). "At this Kansas school, Ag Leads the Lessons." HarvestMedia.org. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
- ^ Adamson, Hannah (2023-04-24). "Newton school board votes to close Walton Rural Life Center". www.ksn.com.
- ^ Attoun, Marti (2013-08-27). "Reading, Writing & Farming." AmericanProfile.com. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
- ^ U. S. Department of Education (2011-01-19). "Using Agriculture to Spur Achievement - The Walton 21st Century Rural Life Center." Online video. Youtube.com. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
- ^ "- YouTube". www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Walton school focus of U.S. Dept. of Education documentary - KSN TV, Kansas News and Weather". November 14, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-11-14.
- ^ "Rural Kansas charter school featured in US film".
- ^ "National crew films at Walton ag school - 121 W. Sixth St., Newton, KS - The Newton Kansan". March 4, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-03-04.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- USD 373, school district for Newton, North Newton, Walton
- USD 373 School District Boundary Map, KDOT
- Articles
- Walton school's growing pains - Hutchinson News - February 12, 2017
- Murky future: Walton school - The Kansan - February 2, 2017
- Editorial: Walton needs a little love - The Kansan -January 28, 2017