LAHARPE — Classes will start in less than six weeks — Aug. 22, to be precise — and most of the pieces are in place for the grand opening of the much-anticipated regional technical education center.
Ray Maloney, who owns the former Diebolt Lumber Company buildings that will serve as the tech ed center’s home base east of LaHarpe, is putting the finishing touches to ensure the building is ready for students.
He will be among the organizers hosting “From Students To Workforce,” a public introduction to the tech ed center at 8 a.m. Monday.
Organizers have planned a light breakfast and community conversation about “this new gem in our educational system,” according to a flyer touting the event.
The session is geared to accumulate public input on student recruitment and retention to the local workforce.
In addition to Maloney, who also owns Ray’s Metal Depot in LaHarpe, the event will be cohosted by Thrive Allen County, the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce, Fort Scott and Allen community colleges and Iola-USD 257, Marmaton Valley-USD 256 and Uniontown-USD 235.
Maloney, as he has been the past several weeks, spent much of Tuesday evening wrapping up “punch list” items to ensure the building is ready for classes.
The 20,000-square-foot facility has undergone substantial changes since the last public event, an open house in late April.
Electric service was added throughout the building; barren plywood walls were straightened and covered with fire-proof Sheetrock; a large garage door for an interior wall was removed and replaced with a smaller opening to allow construction of a second-floor office area; and the interior wall was substantially thickened to effectively turn what was a single building into now — officially, at least — is two separate venues.
That’s important, Maloney explained, because the building now can host two electric service points.
“It wasn’t really needed right now to get the construction class going,” Maloney continued, “but why not do it now instead of having to tear out a wall later? Why spend $50,000 later for what you can do now for $10,000.”
Two large instruction areas are essentially complete, the first for a construction trades class that begins with the center’s Aug. 22 launch. A second room can accommodate a welding class.
Maloney is uncertain when the welding classes will begin, “but we figured we’d have the space ready while Westar was here, anyway. Otherwise, we’d just have to tear out a wall later and spend $50,000 for what we could do early for $10,000.”
Twenty-plus high-schoolers from Iola, Marmaton Valley and Uniontown have signed on for the construction trades class, with students from other neighboring districts watching closely.
Instruction for construction trades will be offered by Fort Scott Community College.
“We thought we had an instructor in place, but that fell through,” Maloney said, “so they’re still looking for one. So if you know of anybody…”
