College home-building class now offered in Polson

High school students and those out of high school have an opportunity to learn home building at a new community college class in Polson.

Instructor Ed Hendrix said Flathead Valley Community College has offered a home building class for many years.

"The expansion down to Polson is what's new," he said.

According to Hendrix, the students in Kalispell have begun building their 10th house. The success of that program inspired the Lake County Builders Association to sponsor a similar program this fall.

So far, nine Polson High School students have registered for the afternoon class. But eight or nine openings remain for the two-semester class which runs from 8 to 11:30 a.m. five days a week.

Hendrix said the building lot is located on 22nd Street in Polson.

"They just started excavating the lot," he said.

Students receive hands-on experience in most phases of the home construction process. They do everything from the foundation forms to the interior finish work.

Hendrix said they learn to hang and tape drywall and assist licensed electricians and plumbers

"They'll be prepared to go and work for a contractor," he said.

At the end of the spring semester, the home built by the students is sold.

Hendrix said the course shows the students the broad range of career possibilities in the construction field. He said it would benefit a diverse group of people, from those who want to build their own house to people in banking.

In Kalispell, Hendrix said a woman licensed to sell real estate took the course to get a better grounding in the construction process. The class requires no prior knowledge of tools or construction experience.

"I have eight boys and one girl in the class," Hendrix said. "Three or four of the boys have a fair amount of experience and some have very little."

He said the course offers a special advantage to high school students who earn up to 16 college credits while still in high school. The school also picks up a portion of the tuition cost.

Hendrix said Flathead Valley Community College offers a broad range of financial aid to help students pay for their tuition and fees.

Hendrix came here from West Point, N.Y., where he spent 30 years teaching in the evenings at a community college while running a construction business during the day.

Hendrix invites people interested in the home-building course to contact him at 270-1074 or by e-mail at ehendrix@centurytel.net or Bill Roope of Flathead Valley Community College at 756-3968 or 270-5091.

Gerhrand Bechard, chairman of the Lake County Builders Association, is another contact at 253-0410.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.