[February 26, 2010] Meeting high standards for high tech: The new technical education building at Bend High features classrooms equipped for industry demands Tweet Feb 26, 2010 (The Bulletin - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The video production classes at Bend High used to take place in a converted classroom with a painted wall for a blue screen and a tiny sound studio augmented with egg cartons that made dubbing and other sound work nearly impossible. Today, they're being held in a brand-new facility with state-of-the-art soundproof rooms and top-level equipment. It's just one of the rooms at the school's new technical education building, which provides more space for hands-on career programs. The new 24,000-square-foot building, on Alden Avenue just across the street to the south of Bend High, dwarfs the 8,000-square-foot building the wood shop and drafting classes used to occupy. With the new facility, the district plans to expand the school's academic offerings and hopes it will inspire students to do better work. Anna Mahaffey, 17, said she's thrilled with the new building. The senior hopes she'll be able to record a CD in the new sound stage and recording studio. "There are more computers, there's more room," she said. "We have a lot more access. And with the right materials that supply everything we need, we'll do a good job." The first floor of the building holds a wood shop, metal shop and an automotive shop. On the second floor of the building are classrooms for computer-aided drafting and engineering classes, as well as graphic arts and photography. Classrooms are equipped with dozens of computers. There is a production studio that will be set up for video and photo arts, and a new broadcast studio and sound stage. "We tried to go with the industry standards," said Pat Welch, who runs the video technology classes at the high school. As soon as the studio is set up, students will begin producing a webcast of the school's morning an- nouncements. "I think students just coming over here are inspired," Welch said. "They can do things and dream things here. The bar has been raised." With the new facility open, Welch has seen a 10 percent increase in enrollment in his classes. Construction on the $6 million facility began in May 2009, and while the finishing touches are still under way, the building has been occupied by students since the start of February. The funding comes from the $119 million bond passed by voters in 2006, and the technical education center is among the final projects to be completed out of that bond funding. Before the new building opened, the school's limited technical education programs were held in an old engine shop purchased in the 1990s. That building, next door to the new facility, will be razed in the next week. Steve Stenkamp, Bend High's woodworking teacher, said he misses the old building because he had more space. He's frustrated there's no place in his new classroom to store his materials or for his students to stain and paint their creations. "We sacrificed functional square footage for architectural bobbles," he said. "However, my old space was 60 years old with poor lighting and a poor floor. I've got a spot that's easier to teach in." And that's not the only hitch. Although the facility has a place for the automotive and metals shops, there are no programs for those shops just yet. Those programs will be new to Bend High, and the high school hasn't yet earmarked funding for teachers to operate them. "It's sort of a catch-22," Welch said. "We've got the money to fund the building but not the money to staff the building." Superintendent Ron Wilkinson said he believes the programs will be up and running in the next couple of years. "A high priority has been expanding those career and technical education programs, and they're trying to incorporate old and new technology in that center," he said. "We do plan to fully utilize the facility." Sheila G. Miller can be reached at 541-617-7831 or at [email protected]. To see more of The Bulletin or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.bendbulletin.com. Copyright (c) 2010, The Bulletin, Bend, Ore. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]