Zoning change paves way for new bus barn/ag facilities

FERRIS – The Ferris ISD Bus Barn, located on the service road west of Interstate 45, and the current ag barn, located on North Central, will be relocating to district-owned property adjacent to the current high school near Wolf Springs Road.

According to Ferris ISD Superintendent James Hartman, “The current [agricultural] facility is too small for the number of students showing animals in our program.”

“Also, moving the ag project barn to land adjacent to our ag classrooms at the high school will allow for daily hands-on learning opportunities,” Hartman added.

Students in animal science and veterinarian tech classes will have real-time access to animals in an outdoor classroom setting, and the program will have additional room for growth.

As for the current bus barn, which is also located on I-45, it is being relocated to the same district-owned property adjacent to the current high school too.

“The new bus barn location will allow our students that are studying automotive technologies and engine repair to have real-time access to a variety of small engines, automobiles, and diesel trucks on which to learn and practice in a real-world setting,” Hartman explained.

The ag barn has been in the same location for the past 35 years and the current transportation facility has been there for a little more than 20 years.

The new location will be just west and northwest of current Ferris High School Ag classrooms.

In short, the ag barn will hold all animals, arena and a classroom.

The new transportation facility will hold office space, bays to work on buses and a classroom.

The move was made possible through a necessary zoning change, which meant the land currently zoned as Single Residential was allowed a Special Use Permit on 10 acres to make room for the needed upgrade.

“The City has been working with the school for several months on the zoning for this project,” said Ferris City Manager Bill Jordan.

“The land and the project itself are all ISD.”

Hartman said overall the move to a new transportation and agricultural facility has been in the works for some time.

“This move has been considered to some degree for many years,” Hartman said.

“We recently became more serious about creating new opportunities for our students and decided it’s the right time.

“We went out for RFQs over the summer and expect construction to take place in the spring with buildings ready by the fall of ‘19.”

Hartman said too, the move of both buildings will be an upgrade for students and the transportation department and have the district set for decades to come.

Other changes at the ISD are the addition of six new classrooms and more restrooms at Ingram Elementary, which are being constructed with this same building project.

A positive by-product of the bus and ag barn relocation will be the potential for commercial development on the vacated property.

Economic Development 4A Board member Charles Hatfield, said, “We look forward to this move giving the opportunity for more commercial development along I-45.”