Mark Kaufman serves as the foreman to a construction crew like no other.
The McDonald County High School carpentry teacher oversees 27 juniors and seniors as they navigate the obstacles of a working job site: mental-, physical- and weather-related.
Students who have completed two years of introductory carpentry classes are permitted to participate in the floor-to-ceiling construction of a house in town. When completed, the 1,250-square-foot home will feature three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a two-car garage.
"The only thing we don't do is heat and air systems," Kaufman said. "We do framing, plumbing, electric, masonry and all the finishing work."
Before any ground is broken, the lot must first be surveyed and blueprints oriented to the property. Then the dirty work begins. The lot is cleaned, footings are dug, concrete is poured, the foundation is laid, and then the structure is framed.
Students cut their construction teeth by installing the structure's footing at the end of October, and Kaufman says they hope to have the building "dried in" by May.
From start to finish, the entire project takes two years, but students involved in carpentry as juniors and seniors are able to see and take part in each step of a home's construction over the course of their learning.
Moving from a classroom to a real-life application can be an overwhelming adjustment, although a rewarding one.
"Safety is important. We spend the first phase learning safety procedures and protocol," Kaufman said. "It's amazing to see how kids will get comfortable on-site and really excel at different skills though."
Kaufman said MCHS is one of only a few schools in Missouri with a four-year carpentry program. In fact, as a 1975 MCHS graduate, Kaufman participated in the program while he was in school.
"It's very cool for me to be able to teach a class that I used to take," he said.
The program also funds OSHA 10-hour card certification for those who complete the course. This card is a pre-requisite for most construction positions and starts students off on the right foot along their career paths.
Community on 02/15/2018