Did you know Wenatchee High School has its own chickens, goats and sheep?

Most people drive past WHS every day without knowing it. There's a working coop on campus, and across the street sits an ag barn where students in FFA and Animal Science raise livestock right in the middle of Wenatchee.

Not every student has land or animals at home, and that shouldn't keep them from one of the most hands-on learning experiences a high school can offer. So Wenatchee Career and Technical Education (CTE) brought it to campus, opening the door for students from every background.

This fall, those students took their animals to the Chelan County Fair, and several were named champions in their categories. It was the first year for the animals and the first year showing animals raised on WHS property.

Students spent early mornings, weekends and much of the summer caring for their animals. Livestock don't keep school hours, and these students showed up anyway.

WHS recently received its second barn shelter, built by Palouse Ranches. The new shelter means 16 students will be able to raise and exhibit goats and sheep at next year's fair.

Applications for next year's ag barn program open this winter.

Agriculture is one of many CTE pathways at WHS. Students also manufacture custom skis and snowboards, train for careers in health occupations, study engineering and sports medicine, and take part in Air Force Junior ROTC. Last year, high school students earned 1,871 industry-recognized certificates before graduating.

Some of those programs have outgrown the current building. The coop and ag barn work because teachers and students found creative solutions, but the facility wasn't designed for what CTE has become. Classrooms are undersized, and the electrical system can't support some modern programs. 

If approved by voters on Nov. 3, 2026, the bond would fund a rebuilt Wenatchee High School with CTE spaces designed for current programs. Those spaces would have the electrical capacity, ventilation, square footage, and infrastructure the programs require. Plans include room to expand CTE programs.

Congratulations to every Wenatchee FFA student who competed at the Chelan County Fair this year. You earned it.