Monroe High School construction students complete Trojan Build 4

This school year, Monroe High School construction students learned the importance of building a community from the ground up. Under the direction of Tom Bell, Construction Trades instructor, 43 students worked on a yearlong project resulting in a four-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom house spanning more than 2,000 square feet.

Located at 15441 Charles St., Trojan Build 4 is the fourth house built by the students in the Trojan Build project launched in 2018.

The house, which is on a corner lot, features a master suite and laundry facilities on the main floor, three upstairs bedrooms and a full basement. Alexa and Smart Home options have been incorporated throughout, including an Ecobee thermostat, Lutron smart switch, smart garage door, Ring doorbell and smart front door lock.

“It's been appraised at $330,000, and there are eight showings already scheduled,” Bell said.

Nini Riggs of Coldwell Banker Haynes Real Estate of Monroe listed the home officially active on the market on Tuesday, June 13.

“There has been an outpouring of support from the community,” Riggs said. “Everybody is excited, and I’ve had so many people contact me. People are viewing the home unaware of what Trojan Build is. They are surprised because they are not from the area but wish they could bring the program back to their area.”

According to Bell, Trojan Build 3, completed in spring 2022, was a two-year build due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions that limited the number of students working on-site. This year’s build, like Trojan Build 1 and 2, was constructed in a single school year.

The land on Charles Street where the houses are located is the site of the district’s former South Monroe Townsite Elementary School, which closed in 2009. Next year’s construction will commence at 15444 Eastwood St., located behind the Charles Street homes. In the next four years, it is anticipated four additional homes will be added.

Bell, in his seventh year of teaching, said he approached former Monroe Public Schools Superintendent Julie Everly about using the property to build houses with the potential of bringing families to the community.

“At the time, all that land was up for sale,” Bell said. “I said. 'I have a builder’s license. Why are we not building houses with these students and then the district can turn around and sell them.’ To me, it made more sense to build homes for families in our district that is going to put kids in our seats. That’s where we came up with ‘it’s for a community by a community build.’”

With an approximate budget of $250,000, Bell's goal is to purchase material locally or within Monroe County. Supplies come from large sponsors like Carter Lumber and Stoneco, a paving materials supplier.

“Stoneco has been a huge supporter since day one. We have gotten all of our stone products from them. They are one of the best to work with,” Bell said. “Carter Lumber donates, whether it be exterior studs or trim packages for the homes. Next year, they are going to donate the entire floor package for the house. They’ve stepped up knowing it’s for the students.”

Andy Marchese teaches fundamentals to sophomores and juniors and Bell, from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., works with advanced students getting hands-on experience while creating beautiful homes for the community.

“It’s pretty common for me to have kids two years in a row,” Bell said. “If they have Marchese as a sophomore, then come in and take my class as a junior and again as a senior.”

Throughout the build, the focus is on quality interior and exterior construction work and craftsmanship. Finishing touches include organizing and staging the home to get it ready to sell.

“They learn what it’s like to be on a real construction site where subcontractors may also be there or an inspector on a certain day,” Bell said. “They learn a lot of hard skills. They fine tune working with saws. They're learning how to roof and put on shingles. They are putting the scaffolding up and putting up siding. The students work on framing, siding, roofing, windows and doors. Then, they will work with our subcontractors with the HVAC, plumbing and electric.”

High school junior Dan Kittle, 17, worked on several aspects of the new construction. He started with framing followed by roofing and flooring.

Kittle said he especially enjoyed learning to roof and has an interest in being an electrician. At home, he works with his dad on projects.

Adam Nabozny, 17, also a junior, worked on tiling, flooring and drywall. Although he doesn’t plan to work in construction after high school, Naboszy said the skills he learned will be beneficial when his owns his own home.

Kittle and Nabozny took the class as an elective and plan to continue with the program in the fall.

“The students get to see how the home is built from start to finish. They see how the structure develops and they learn about the inspection process,” Bell said.

They aren’t just graded on their building skills but on their behavior while on the construction site.

Bell realizes not all of his students will pursue a career in construction, but he hopes his students will take the skills they have learned to use when they are homeowners.

“Projects like this are so important. We’re getting to a gap where over 50% of people in the trades are ready to retire,” he said. “For so many years, there was this negative stigmata that if you didn’t go to college, you weren’t considered an intelligent person. Some kids are so gifted and so intelligent with their hands that they can make just as much money without going to college and going into an apprenticeship.”

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe High School construction students complete Trojan Build 4