ACE deals kids a whole new future
High school kids build a home as part of their learning experience

By Zoe Rose, Rno Gazette-Journal
For most of us, our high school momentos include a yearbook, the tassel from graduation and maybe the copy that Mom saved of that A we finally got in math.

Fifty year from now, the Academy for Career Education students will be showing their grandkids their high school momentos—homes they built from the ground up.

“It’s something that’s going to be there for a long time,” said Ed Horan, ACE building trades instructor who has been with the school since it was founded five years ago.

“Families will have lived in it and loved it, and it’s meant something to them, our kids built it.”
Each year, the school’s construction students build a house, using skills they learn in school like carpentry, plumbing, electrical and finishing work. The home is then sold, with proceeds going directly into the following year’s program.

The house must pass the same inspection process as any other house and has to be signed off by the city building department.

The 1,736 spare-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath home that was completed in May of this year is currently for sale as its appraised value of $356,000. In previous years, homes have sold before the end of the month it was finished. Because of the slowing in the market, this year’s home is still available.

“Because it’s owned by the school district, we can’t put it on the regular market,” said Leigh Berdrow, an ACE administrator and one of the founding members.

“We have to ‘notice’ it and accept bids on that. We’re now in the third round where we can accept bids for less than the appraised value. Bids are due to the school by 1 p.m., August. 16. If it doesn’t sell then, we go to the next round, which is a lottery to select a Realtor who will receive a flat six percent total commission. There’s a whole legal thing we have to follow.”

Mike Cate of Silver State Masonry bought an ACE home two years ago. As one of the school’s board members, he got to see it as it was being built.

“I was involved with the Associated General Contractors and we helped get the school started,” said Cate. “I can’t say enough about the good things this program does for kids. And, it’s providing just what the industry needs, skilled workers.”

Silvia Marin is the new ACE principal. In the education field for the last 12 years, she has a background in vocational schools.

“In the past, previous generals have viewed vocational schools as a place for troubled students who cannot achieve academically,” Marin said.

“But now, the way technology and computers play such a large part in the real world, the way we think about construction has changed. Students here have to meet the same requirements to graduate as students at regular high schools.”

ACE is a comprehensive high school for grades 10 through 12. It meets all of the requirements established by the State of Nevada and standards set by the Washoe County School District. An ACE diploma is the same as any other public school diploma in Washoe County.

Fully accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, ACE focuses on academic subjects like reading, writing, math and science through the application of construction skills.
“That means teachers work to incorporate academics into the skills they are learning,” said Berdrow. “It’s not just memorization, it’s showing them how it all works.”

Horan, who has taught for 25 years, likes what the system does for his students.

“I generally never get the question, ‘Why do I have to learn this?’ because our teachers relate it back to what students are doing. Some actually want to take geometry over when they’ve had to do roof trusses and found out how important it is. It means something in their lives now.”

The school, which offers residential construction, diesel mechanics and computer aided design, is tuition-free and open on a first-come, first-served basis to qualified students.

Paul and Paulette Adamson are the parents of an ACE graduate and one who will be a senior at the school this year. Their oldest son, P.J. went from having a 1.78 GPA in his freshman year at a local high school to graduating from ACE as the salutatorian with a 4.0 GPA and 23 college credits. He also earned a millennium scholarship.

“He’s 19 now, and already a member of the carpenters’ union, working for Q & D Construction in the millworks department,” said Paulette. ‘There is the opportunity for kids to really learn at this school.”

P.J. feels a sense of pride at his ACE accomplishments.

“I helped build three of the houses, and it was definitely good for my self esteem. It gave me a lot of work experience so now I’m placed higher in my apprenticeship and excelling a lot faster than most.”

At Spanish Springs High School, the Adam’s youngest son, Preston, was a 4.0 student.

“But he wasn’t a jock, and he just couldn’t get the help with things he didn’t understand because his grades were so good,” said Paulette. “He got very frustrated. It all came down to the day he told us, ‘If you don’t get me out of this and put in P.J.’s school, I’m out of here.’ That’s when we realized he was serious, he would have dropped out.”

Present now carries a 3.86 GPA at ACE and needs only two more credits to graduate.
“I recommend this school to anyone,” said Adamson. “It gave my boys a reason for going to school and made it all make sense to them.”

Students who attend the school can still play sports at their zoned high school, if eligible, and they can take specialized classes not offered by ACE at any local high school, including band, drama, ROTC and a foreign language.

“We have a licensed P.E. teacher here for independent study here on campus,” said Marin. “Or, students can join a gym and track their hours.”

The school gets help from a variety of local businesses who donate house materials and other types of help.

“For this house, we partnered with Sierra Pacific Power to build one that is energy efficient. All appliances are Energy Star rated, there is a high-efficiency gas furnace and water heater, and Low-e windows. There are solar panels on the roof that generate some of their own electricity. You can’t make money, but you can reduce what you pay to Sierra Pacific,” said Berdrow.

The school has recently moved to 2800 Vassar St., in Reno.

“At 16,000 square feet, it’s about twice as big as the old space,” said Cate. “There will be enough room for 325 students.”

The school is expecting an enrollment this year of 220, with 13 percent of the students being girls.
“That’s up from 8 percent last year,” said Berdrow. “And, I expect it might go up to about 18 percent before September.”

Major sponsors for house materials
American Ready Mix
Bill Haw
Steve Hamilton
Black Eagle consulting
Brock and Weigl
CB Concrete
Dale Lowery and D&D Plumbing
Fortiflash
George Trowbridge
Operating Engineers
Panattoni Construction
Reno Tahoe Concrete
Sierra Nevada Construction
Sierra Pacific Power Company
Sierra Stone
Silver State Masonry
Tital Construction Supply
Veka Wes