During this past school year, 150 high school students at Penta Career Center constructed a
2,270-square-foot house as part of their career training. The house is for the Schunk family and is
located at 1069 S. Ironwood Dr. in Rossford (in the Ironwood subdivision off of Glenwood Road).
The house will be open to the public on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.
"Each year, our students construct a house as part of their senior class project," says David
Ziemke, supervisor of the construction trades programs at Penta. "Students in our construction
trades programs build houses to gain valuable hands-on experience in residential home
construction."
The house is a ranch style and has three bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms and a finished office space.
Special features include a glass-enclosed shower; whirlpool tub; 12-foot ceilings in the family room;
crown moldings throughout the house; upstairs laundry; full, partitioned basement with recreation room;
bay window with French doors; bamboo hardwood floors; and full brick front.
Students in Penta’s Construction Carpentry, Masonry, Electricity and HVACR/Piping Systems Technology
programs worked on some aspect of the home construction project. Penta instructors Rob Weaver, Tim
Blanchard, Denny Hoeft, Pat Luther, Mike Hardenbrook, Mike Urbine, Jason Vida, and Matt Hemker worked
with the students throughout the school year to complete the house.
Students at Penta build at least one house each school year. The project is part of the high school
curriculum in the Construction Trades programs. For more information about applying for a Penta-built
home, contact Ziemke at (419) 666-1120 ext. 6358. Potential home building projects must be located
within a 10 to 15 minute driving distance of the Penta campus. In addition a potential project must be
located within one of Penta’s member school districts.
Students in Penta’s Construction Trades programs are instructed in a variety of areas including rough and
finish carpentry; installation of interior/exterior trim; blueprint reading; power/hand tool use; house
and commercial wiring; HVAC/R; and concrete and brick laying techniques. Many of the students
participate in the School-To-Work program where they work throughout the year with area construction
companies and will be permanently employed with those same companies at the end of the school year.