Magnet program continues to attract students; Applications for next year overflow

DANNY GALLO, Reporter

 

     Every year, students apply for the magnet programs all around HCPS.  Applicants come  “from homeschools, they come from private schools, and Harford County middle schools,” according to Mr. Gregory Murrel, natural resources agricultural science teacher.  

     Murrel explains, this year there were “about 98 students,” which is “pretty close to what is average, since we kick out[graduate] about 100 students every year.” This number has gotten higher since years prior. The teacher says, “We only had three strands of programs when we started, and took about 20 students per strand, now we have 4 strands.” These programs include “large animal science, small animal science, natural resources, and plant science, and there are 25 students per strand.”

     The teacher stated that for the next school year, the magnet program got  “176 applicants for 100 positions,” which surprised Murrel. 

     No changes will be happening to the program in the next few years. The biggest change which happened a couple years was “the addition of the small animal science,” according to Murrel. 

     Murrel also shares about Mrs. Shantz, who graduated at North Harford and is now a part-time teacher for agriculture. He says that “She finished out her program at Harford Tech, and this year is her last year there before transferring here for full-time.

     For incoming students who are thinking of applying, the application is online, and “students have to create an essay about why they want to come,” as well as “make an activity list that shows not only things related to agricultural natural resources, but also that shows how they are able to balance their academic and other schedules.” And everything else will rely on “teacher endorsements, as well as academic performance.”

     What’s more, Murrel says he helped develop “the magnet program that is unique only to North Harford.” He had “a year and a half where [he] was not working. He shares that they had to “write a long proposal, and take it up to the state.” The teacher had reached out to colleagues and reputable students from universities, who then helped come up with the idea. Murrel shares that “the state has standard programs that a lot of schools normally follow, but not ours.” 

    Murrel also teaches GIS mapping as part of his responsibilities to this program.