Students to take on remodeling project
By Anna Krejci,Dells Events
Technical education students at Wisconsin Dells High School could be remodeling the basement of one of the district's teachers this year instead of constructing an entire house for course credit.
The Dells School District Building and Grounds Committee Tuesday discussed the possibility of having 12 building trade students remodel high school teacher's Frank Fedie's basement, performing electrical, plumbing, framing and drywall work.
Administrator Chuck Whitsell said the project could consist of creating a family room out of an unfinished basement, complete with office space and bar.
"I think a project like this could be beneficial for the kids," Whitsell said.
For more than a decade the district has been investing instructional time and borrowing money to support the house project, which required the district to purchase lots and sell a finished house, sometimes to predetermined buyers.
Whitsell said the district is negotiating with buyers for the last two houses students built.
Students would need to do more projects to fill the time that building a house would require. High School Principal Randy Kuhnau said students might finish the remodeling project discussed in three to four months.
Whitsell said he thought they'd complete it in as little as nine weeks.
He said if the district advertises its desire for projects it might get some, even if it's constructing a garage.
Kuhnau said having a project for students would be important because students can earn credit toward a degree from the Madison Area Technical College and advocated keeping some type of building trades program.
About 75 percent of the building trades students are seniors and about half of them want to pursue related careers, Kuhnau said.
Committee member Bob McClyman suggested students make a documentary tracking the progress of their house or remodeling project that could perhaps be aired on the community cable channel for publicity.
"It's a good way to learn, too. It's like creating a portfolio if students film themselves..." Kuhnau said.
The committee also discussed which party pays for materials, calculating a cost estimate for the undertaking and possibly devoting less staff to it.