The Tomah School District is proud to announce the establishment of a partnership with the City of Tomah and its Community Development Program, to enhance the education of students interested in the construction trades. A three-unit complex of one-bedroom apartments will be built on Arthur Street in Tomah beginning this fall. The City of Tomah through the use of Community Development funds will purchase the land on which the apartment complex will be built and students from the Tomah High School building trades class will be on site actively engaged in building this complex from the ground up. A number of local construction businesses have also indicated an interest in partnering with the City and District to provide materials at reduced cost and allowing students to assist or observe work that is being sub-contracted out.
The idea for this partnership began over a year ago. We started out thinking we could perhaps “flip” an older home in our community, but due to safety and environmental restrictions placed on high school students working on such a project, it became clear that new construction was our best option. As the school district has worked through the ups and downs of sorting out what students could do, Rachel Muehlenkamp, the Director of the City of Tomah Housing and Community Development Program, and other city staff found solutions that kept the program moving forward and now the start of our first building project is within sight. I’d like to thank Rachel, along with Brian Buswell from All American Lumber and Eric Hall from Tomah Lumber for their involvement and advice as ideas on this project progressed. This project would not have been possible for the school district to accomplish on its own.
This unique youth training and community development building project builds a stronger community in Tomah. We are better preparing students for well-paying careers in the construction trades and helping them to be career-ready upon leaving high school. We are building housing that is in great demand in our community- helping individuals and families who meet income and other eligibility guidelines to secure and maintain affordable, safe and decent housing in the City of Tomah. We are offering local businesses the opportunity to become involved in a project that will allow them to support both the educational system and the city in a manner that utilizes their area of expertise and skills. By working together, we can decrease costs and increase opportunity!
In the next month a meeting will be held to provide more details on this project to all community members or businesses who wish to get involved. Please contact my office to secure your seat at the table when we meet.
If you have any questions or comments about the information and opinions expressed in this edition of The School Bell, please contact Cindy Zahrte, District Administrator, by email or 374-7002.