Board of Education board member Curtis Smith taught for two years in the agriculture building at Isabella before becoming Isabella’s principal in the 1960s.

Smith taught in the building from 1960-1962 and has fond memories of his time teaching agricultural classes.

“Back then, you had more farming and more farmers so my job was to teach the students farming activities,” Smith said. “We then had to visit our students on the farm for farm projects and that would be projects the students had themselves and I would go out and check their projects.”

Smith said some of the projects included upkeep of two acres of corn, or having animals such as calves or pigs to raise and students would get money for them.

“It was designed so the students would still be learning but it would be their first time experience,” Smith said.

Smith said during his time teaching agriculture, he taught grades 9-12 averaging 15-20 students per class and all of the students were boys.

“Girls take agriculture classes now but when I taught I never had any girls take the classes,” Smith said.

Although Smith hates to see the building torn down, he holds on to his memories of his time teaching in the building.

“The building has gotten to the point you can’t repair it,” Smith said. “I believe it is best for it to be torn down and there is a new agriculture building, but you hate to see it go.”