Greene County High School will again offer a class that allows students to build nearly an entire house after the Greene County school board approved at its June 17 meeting moving forward with a plan to utilize students to build a house for staff member Kyle Kinne.
Superintendent Tim Christensen told the board that Kinne had approached him about partnering with the school on a home construction project. Kinne would carry a construction loan for materials and compensate the school for labor. “It wouldn’t be exactly what we’ve done in the past, but it would allow us to get back into the business of building a house at a little better time,” Christensen said. It is the investment in building materials that is preventing the district from starting another house, he added.
Christensen added that Kinne and the district would agree on the cost of labor. “We can’t have it on the street that the school is building homes for teachers at no cost,” he said.
The construction class has built 16 entire houses with enough manpower to complete the house in a school year. The program hit a snag with decreased enrollment a primary cause, and the house started in the fall of 2012 wasn’t completed until the summer of 2014. That house still hasn’t been sold, with the school carrying the cost of materials.
The construction class was cancelled for the first trimester of 2014-15 when only two students enrolled. Students in the class for the second and third trimesters worked on a Habitat for Humanity project at 901 W. Washington St in Jefferson.
At the board meeting was Chad Morman, who will teach the construction class through an agreement with Iowa Central Community College. He said he has experience with similar projects. He suggested that the basement be poured before the students start and that contractors still be used, but with students doing as much as possible.
There are now only two students registered for the class. Morman and Kinne both said they expect enrollment to increase once the students know they’ll be working on new construction.
The board’s approval of a motion to move forward with the project was unanimous.
Demolition of another school-owned house approved: In other business, the board approved demolition of a house owned by the district at 308 13th Street South in Grand Junction. The house is on the northeast corner of the school property. It was purchased by the East Greene district in 2009 for $30,000. Current assessed value of the property, including a fairly new 960 square-foot detached garage, is $41,300. The school has a walk-in freezer in the garage.
East Greene superintendent Mike Harter lived in the house until he left the district two years ago. The house was rented for a time after that. The house is vacant now.
Christensen told the board that there is recent water damage due to a leaking roof and that the foundation is cracked. He got an estimate of $10,000 for repair, and said the need for action was pressing to avoid problems with mold. Cost to demolish the house was estimated at $2,000 to $3,000.
Board member Teresa Hagen asked if Habitat for Humanity would be able to rehab the house. Board member Jeff Lamoureux, who is associate director for Heart of Iowa Habitat, said his organization shies away from houses that have problems with either the roof or the foundation.
“I don’t see selling it. How would we control it, with all the problems it could cause, even with easements,” board member Sam Harding said. “To me, we fix it and rent it, or we tear it down.”
“The rental business isn’t something that the school district wants to be in. That’s not the best use of things,” Christensen answered.
Hagen, who is familiar with the current real estate market, said that 75 percent of the houses that have sold in the last six months cost $50,000 or less. “There are a lot of people buying those houses,” she said.
The board approved demolition of the house by a 5-1 vote with Lamoureux casting the dissenting vote. Board member Mark Peters was absent.
