An overhead map showcasing the ground south of Franklin High School’s tennis courts. This area was deemed an ideal location for the bee farm. Submitted photo
Franklin Community High School may soon be buzzing more than usual.
The school corporation recently considered an initiative to establish an apiary, or honey bee farm on the high school grounds to give students a unique hands-on learning experience.
Alec Billings, a science teacher at the high school, outlined a plan to integrate beekeeping into the curriculum and as an extracurricular activity at a school board meeting last week.
The Franklin Community Honeybee Farm project seeks to educate students about the importance of bees in the agricultural and business industries, granting an experience “the students will never forget.”
“Honeybees are a species facing many challenges in today’s world,” said Billings. “Not only will students be able to learn about science and environmental issues, they will also learn the business aspect. We are looking for a more holistic or comprehensive education experience.”
Classes such as earth science, environmental science and animal science will be able to use the bee farm. Several teachers and educators in the school corporation have expressed interest in participating in the project and incorporating the bee farm into their curriculum. There is a chance for other current school clubs to use the hives for instruction as well, Billings said.
Many schools have found success with similar apiary areas including an Indian Creek Senior High School project in the 1990’s, he said.
The plan includes establishing two beehives south of the high school tennis courts. This site offers ample space, minimal traffic interference and is a safe distance from school activities to ensure an unnoticeable increase in insect activity. Because bees travel about 3 to 5 miles from the hive for food, there should not be a big difference in the number of bees on the property, Billing said.
Superintendent David Clendening said a fence with “no trespassing” signs will also be built around the apiary.
The project will be funded initially by a grant from Franklin Education Connection that covers the $1,400 startup costs. Billings also has a few donors lined up in the event additional initial funding is needed, he said.
Ongoing expenses are also projected to be minimal, with an estimated annual upkeep cost of less than $150, primarily for sugar water to feed the bees, Billings said.
Students will also have the opportunity to generate revenue by selling hive products such as honey, beeswax and propolis, which will help maintain the annual upkeep costs or be used for a potential scholarship opportunity in the future, he said.
“As long as the bees have a good environment, they work well,” Billings said. “If you have a really strong beehive in the second year, each hive could produce up to 100 pounds of honey. There is potential that we could have merchandise to sell as well, similar to how we sell sportswear in the spirit shop.”
If the bees from both colonies died, it would cost a maximum of $450 to restart the project because the equipment is typically reusable, Billings said.
Before participating, students will have to obtain and complete a parental permission slip and follow safety protocols which include wearing protective gear during hands-on activities. Students with severe allergic reactions to bee stings will not be allowed to participate in direct beekeeping activities, Billings said.
Maintenance and inspections on the hives will be conducted by either Billings or other trained teacher volunteers. Supervised and trained students will be allowed to assist in the management of the beehives as well, he said.
The project is slated to start in May, with the potential for student involvement before the end of this school year.
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