Small towns have been hit hard by population loss. Many students in such communities graduate from high school, leave for college and never return.

For those who don’t have the option of college and stay behind, there needs to be an opportunity to get skills that will allow them to get good-paying jobs, Baker County School Board Chairman Malcolm Parker said Wednesday.

Speaking to an Albany Herald reporter before the ground-breaking ceremony for the school system’s new Agricultural Education Center next to the school campus, Parker said, “We are starting with the ag program. We are very excited that we’re going to train students further cause we live in the middle of ag country. We want to train those who will not go to college.”