After being discussed at every Greene County school board meeting since last March, the construction class at Greene County high school has been scuttled, at least for the first trimester. The decision was made last week, after school started with only two students enrolled in the class.
According to school superintendent Tim Christensen, the class may be offered for the second and third trimesters, depending on enrollment. Teacher Chuck Wenthold has been assigned other duties. The construction class meets three class periods per day.
Low enrollment in the class created problems last year. With only four or five students, the class was unable to finish the house on E. Wilcox Way that was started by the class the previous year, the 2012-13 school year. (Read an earlier post here for background.)
Last spring, during registration for the current school year, Wenthold told the board he expected nine or 10 students for this year. By summer, two students had changed plans. The board asked Wenthold to find projects smaller than a house that would provide students the same learning opportunities, with an expected enrollment of seven students.
Wenthold shared the list with the board at the Aug. 20 meeting (the first day of school). The list included projects such as the greenhouse at the high school and the pressbox at Linduska Field, and the possibility of helping with Habitat for Humanity’s rehab project was discussed.
The board approved the list. However, when Wenthold was asked nine minutes into the discussion about enrollment, he said he had only two students in the class, one senior and one junior.
Board president Sam Harding repeated what he had said several times previously, that five or six students were needed for the class. The board did not cancel the class then, but gave Wenthold and the students time to recruit more participants for the class. With classes and schedules already underway, the recruiting was unsuccessful.
Principal Brian Phillips has said that the three period time commitment makes it difficult for students to fit into their schedules.
