The plan needs some refinement before Lawrence school board members sign off on it, but the idea of a large garden at Free State High School has a lot of potential.

A presentation about the Lawrence Community and Learning Garden concept drew many questions from school board members last week, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea. The board was smart to want more details about how the garden would be managed and maintained and whether the proposed site is the best location available.

Plans call for smaller garden plots to be rented to members of the community who want to grow their own food. Those rental feels would help finance the student portion of the garden, but it also raises additional questions about the property’s oversight. The proposed location on the north side of Overland Drive is highly visible, and it’s important that it be well maintained and isn’t allowed to become an eyesore.

The Free State proposal should be helped along by this year’s success with a smaller garden project at West Junior High School. With the help of a group of community volunteers, students at West have earned wages for working in the garden while producing food that was sold at weekly markets and used in the school cafeteria.

Like WJHS, Free State is being aided by partners from some local businesses and organizations that are eager to help students have a hands-on educational experience. A district administrator working on the project points to the learning opportunities for students not only in agriculture and science but also in finance and business management. Superintendent Rick Doll said he liked the garden concept because it gives students a chance “to do something,” rather than just learning their lessons in the classroom.

A project like the student garden is a good opportunity for students to find practical applications for what they’ve learned in the classroom. The problem-solving skills that go into planning, planting and managing the garden plot are the same skills many employers will be looking for when students enter the work force, either straight out of high school or after a technical training program or college.