Reuben Kramar and Shanon Smith, both 17, mirror each other Tuesday as they pound nails into the Building Trades house project at 635 Grove St.

The foundation for the Building Trades house project is solidified, as is the work ethic for Portage High School students who are constructing the home at 635 Grove St.

"When it's cold and raining, the kids are out here working. It's a real-life experience, which may mean working after school or on a Saturday," said Mark Parrott, tech education teacher for Portage High School. "If you don't show up, you don't get a grade, like if you don't show up to work, you don't get paid."

There are two 90-minute class sections, which are made up of 22 students, including one girl. Nicole Goetsch, 17, said that she is not treated any differently than the male students, and the male students treat her like a member of the team.

"Everyone teases each other. It's not a big deal," Goetsch said. "I like drafting, so that's why I'm in this class."

Kyle Walker, 16, is one of the younger students in the class.

"I'm not much for art or music, and I like working with my hands," Walker said.

Mark Mazurek, 17, said that besides getting outside the doors of the high school, he does not like textbooks. He wants to be a carpenter or a welder after high school.

"I hear from the kids that they don't like math or reading, but we're using math all the time out here. We're reading blueprints and technical information, and they don't realize it," Parrott said.

Reuben Kramar said that he grew up on a farm, so he is familiar with hard, physical work.

"I've always liked manual stuff, working with my hands, and I'm also in the Army Reserves," Kramar, 17, said.

Cory Mars, 18, said that even though some students are in different peer groups inside the walls of the high school, it doesn't matter at the house project.

"You've got to get along out here or you'd get nothing done," Mars said.

The house project has been a part of the tech education curriculum at PHS for 17 years, according to Parrott, but this year there are two major differences: more hands-on work for students with subcontractors, and the district will not make a profit from the purchase of the house, which previously was used to help fund the next year's project.

The money situation this year was different than in years past because the district had to pay for a home lot this time around, as opposed to donated parcels, said Portage School Board member Steve Pate.

"This year we're building a modest house," Pate said. "It's smaller than the ones we've done before."

The house is 1,360 square feet with three bedrooms, a two-car garage with an unfinished basement and vaulted ceilings. The estimated selling price is $135,000 to $140,000, according to Charles Poches, Portage School District administrator. The district will break even on the project, he said, and sell the house to an individual or family who would otherwise be unable to purchase it.

"We're selling it for the price of the lot, materials and subcontracting. We're not including the work of the instructor or the students," Poches said. "The district will not make any money on this whatsoever."

The school district purchased the lot from a couple who sold it for less than what was listed, Poches said.

Money for the building materials has been made possible through a construction loan by Portage National Bank, Poches said.

"Once the project is done and the house is sold, the costs we may have had is included in the sale price," Poches said.

Keeping the cost of the house project down has been possible with support from community businesses and individuals, Parrott said.

"The bids that are coming in are at a very, very low cost. So they are really trying to support the program," Parrott said. He has been the Building Trades instructor for the past four years.

Individuals interested in purchasing the house should fill out an application at the district office in the Clough Administration Building. Applications will be accepted until Christmas, Poches said.

A committee consisting of administrators, school board members and community members will chose the recipient for the house by February, Poches said.

"They must fill out an application and have a statement from a lending institution that they are eligible for a loan for the house," Poches said.

jmccoy@capitalnewspapers.com

745-3519