The tiny home that students at Construction Careers Academy are working on now is a bit different from their usual project.
The Northside Independent School District recently donated a school bus to the magnet program. So instead of creating a tiny home from scratch, the students are ripping out seats and preparing to renovate the bus as a place to live.
CCA received a High Impact Grant from Impact SA in 2017 to construct an Impact San Antonio tiny home. That home has since been sold, but the program has continued to build and sell more homes. Proceeds from each sale are plowed back into the program.
About 30 percent of the program’s 536 students are women, said Principal James Mears. Two favorite programs for them are architecture and construction management, he said.
The donation of the bus came at a good time, said Krista Ackles, program coordinator for CCA.
“Lumber prices are so out of control right now,” she said. “This gives the students a drive-in tiny home.”
The same basic layout will be used for the bus. But instead of the upstairs sleeping loft the other CCA tiny homes have, the bedroom will be on the same level as the rest of the home, Ackles said.
“The students will have to research plumbing and electrical systems so they can be adapted to the bus,” she said. “We’ll be adding insulation, shiplap, cabinets and a wood-burning stove. One benefit is that school buses are extremely safe because they carry kids.”
There have been changes to the CCA program during the pandemic, but it did not have to suspend any programs or classes, Mears said.
Some of the students are on a rotating schedule, spending part of the week in distance learning and part on campus. Other students have chosen to do distance learning full time.
“We have close to 20 percent of students on campus at varying times,” Mears said. “Those who aren’t here are engaged in virtual learning. We were fortunate to receive a grant earlier this year that allowed us to purchase tools the students could take and work on projects from their home. We provided them with the materials they would need as well.
“With CCA,” he added, “we probably have more students come to our campus than regular campuses because the classes are hands-on. At the end of each school day, we put the tools aside for 24 hours and sanitize them. We haven’t had much problem with social distancing.”
Some of the students have been on a rotating schedule, spending part of the week in distance learning and part on campus. Other students have chosen to do distance learning full time. Starting March 22, students will either be on campus five days a week or distance learning full time, Mears said.
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