SAN ANTONIO – Students at Northside Independent School District’s Agriculture Science and Technology Academy are getting a firsthand lesson in farm-to-table business after opening the school’s first student-run store.
The store sells meats processed on campus along with items such as candles, jams and farm-fresh eggs. School officials say the project is designed to give students real-world experience beyond the classroom.
During the store’s grand opening, shelves quickly emptied as customers snapped up popular items, including snack sticks, sausages and steaks.
“We had, I’d say, give or take 70% of things stocked,” said Kaylee Campbell White, a junior at the academy. “Everything pretty much flew off the shelves, and Mr. Clay was like, ‘OK, we need to make more snack sticks, more sausage, and cut a lot more steaks.’”
Principal Chad Bohlken said the store is part of a comprehensive assignment that takes students through every step of the process, from livestock processing to packaging and retail sales.
“This is where all the meat is cut up — anything you saw in the store,” Bohlken said, describing the academy’s on-campus facilities.
The storefront is located on Northside ISD’s O’Connor High School campus and is stocked with products prepared and marketed by students.
During the opening, customers browsed grilling staples while students explained different cuts of meat and recommended products.
“This is a New York strip — it comes right from the loin,” one student told a customer. “It’s probably the most commonly seen cut, especially in beef.”
Students working in the shop also act as district vendors. Any profit made from sales goes back into covering production costs and preparing future inventory. Students will later present their financial and operational performance as part of their coursework.
White said the hands-on experience helps students prepare for life after high school.
“I think it’ll help us be more prepared for whenever we do turn 18 and go off to college,” she said.
Bohlken said that kind of preparation is exactly the goal.
“It’s a hands-on school,” he said. “You come here, you’re going to get a little bit dirty, but you’re going to learn hard work and responsibility — and some of that is hard to come by, so we’re glad to teach it.”
The student-run store will open to the general public next week on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Beginning in February, store hours will change to Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Read also: