In the first days of the new school year, at least 16 goats, sheep, and pigs raised by Future Farmers of America (FFA) students at Somerset Independent School District's agriculture barn were killed, and four more were seriously injured, after two separate attacks on the barn over the weekend. The district says the second attack is believed to have involved dogs that got in after breaching the property's perimeter fencing.

These animals weren't just livestock. They represented months of early mornings, health checks, and training ahead of show season. One parent said their students had already spent $5,000 raising their animals before the attacks. For many FFA students, this barn is the center of their agricultural education and their path toward the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.

The district says an agriculture teacher watching the barn spotted two dogs walking away right after the second attack, though officials are still trying to determine exactly how the dogs got in. "The AG Barn has served our students and Agriculture program for more than 40 years, and an incident of this nature has never occurred," Somerset ISD said in a statement to KSAT. That's exactly why a one-time fix isn't enough.

Somerset ISD's Board of Trustees should commit, in writing, to permanent security upgrades at the AG barn, including reinforced fencing, motion-activated monitoring, and a maintenance schedule to keep both working for years, not just this semester. Neighbors have already stepped up to house displaced animals and raise funds so students can rebuild their herds. The district should match that effort with a lasting safety standard, so no other FFA student loses their animals, money, and hard work to a fence that gave out.

Sign the petition to demand permanent AG barn security at Somerset ISD, before another student loses everything they've worked for.