FAIRMONT — CHS Inc. has given Fairmont Area Schools $100,000 to help create a construction trades academy.

“The fourth academy we want to implement before the next school year is the construction trades academy,” said Superintendent Joe Brown.

The school already has an agriculture academy and welding academy, and is in the process of creating an automotive academy.

Brown gave a tour of the high school vocational wing to several representatives of CHS at the beginning of the school year. He said they were impressed with the district’s plans to boost its vocational program.

CHS Inc. has had a plant in Fairmont since 2003. Tom Malecha, CHS senior vice president, said, “CHS proudly supports many rural youth educational and leadership programs, and the Fairmont High School projects aligns with out intention to work together for shared success and to strengthen our communities.”

Brown said the focus of the program will be building homes. He said they already have some partnerships and ideas lined up.

“Habitat for Humanity has requested money from the Schmeeckle Foundation to build five houses over the next five years,” he said. “They have talked to us about whether we would be interested in building those houses for Habitat, and we are.”

Brown said Habitat for Humanity already has locations in mind for the finished homes. Habitat will pay for all of the materials for the houses, while students will supply the labor, gaining the experience of building a home. Students also will get high school credit.

The students will build one house per year, but to do it they need a facility to use year-round.

“We need it to be climate-controlled,” Brown said. “We would run this ‘school’ throughout the school year, Saturdays and summer.”

The estimated cost of the facility is $825,000. Brown has requests out for donations to other companies for the additional $725,000.

As Brown noted, to get tax breaks, people need to donate before Dec. 31, so in the next 10 weeks he is going to try to raise as much as he can. The facility will be built in the early part of summer 2020 so the district can start building houses during the 2020-2021 school year.

The academy also would be open to interested students in other area school districts.

“This also adds another component for us to increase the number of skilled workers in the region,” Brown said. “Minnesota needs to replace 250,000 skilled workers in the next four years. At the rate that we’re currently teaching people to be skilled workers, we won’t be able to replace that many that fast.”

Brad Johnson is the district’s construction trades teacher and will lead the program, which also will work with local contractors. As Brown noted, it is one thing to build houses, but they will need electrical and plumbing.

The construction trades facility will be located on the south side of the high school, on an empty spot that can accommodate the 80-foot by 100-foot building. The facility will be tall enough to let students build a house inside. The houses will be constructed on a platform so they can be wheeled out the doors when finished.

Brown said the district is grateful to CHS for the donation, calling it is a great example of the private sector and public sector working collaboratively toward a better future for Minnesota.

“This partnership will be a model for other high schools and businesses that are working together to provide greater opportunities for their schools and their community,” he said.