Educational Spark
La Grange High School student Noe Maldonado works on a welding project in the new booths at LHS, utilizing a new flexible stand and flexible fume extraction system that were part of recent upgrades. Photo by Jeff Wick The La Grange Economic Development Corporation presented a check for $56,112,36 to La Grange ISD to pay for upgrades to the school’s welding instruction facilities. Pictured are (from left) Pam Keilers of La Grange ISD; EDC board members Brenda Rainosek, Bonnie Busch, Jan Dockery and John Eilert; La Grange Economic Development Manager Emily Hudson; EDC board members Sharon Chovanec and Janet Moerbe; La Grange High School welding teacher Kevin Pittman, La Grange High Assistant Principal Nathan Truex and La Grange High School Principal John Pineda. Photos by Andy Behlen LGISD staff and students in the new welding facility: Left to right – Welding teacher Kevin Pittman, Kaleb Hensley, Assistant Principal Nathan Truex, Klayton Michalka, Cordale Knapik, Max McNulty, Raul Mancera, Jeffrey Cabrera, Noe Maldonado, Educational Aide Pam Keilers and Principal John Pineda. Photo by Jeff Wick La Grange High School Principal John Pineda and high school welding teacher Kevin Pittman handed out metal nameplates to members of the La Grange Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and City staff. Welding students made the custom nameplates in appreciation for the EDC’s generous contribution.
Until a few months ago, the welding area at La Grange High School was outdated and cramped.
Holes and burned areas were visible in the partition walls between each aging work station.
A cinder block wall kept teacher Kevin Pittman from being able to keep an eye on students who were practicing welding and the rest of the class.
Over the past few years LGISD had upgraded things like the football field, the theater and band hall, but the welding area of the vocational building had been largely unimproved.
But thanks to a unique partnership between the City of La Grange’s Economic Development Corporation and the school, the welding area at LHS has been transformed.
Ten old welding booths have been expanded to a dozen modern ones, each with a new stand, new flexible fume extraction hoses in every booth, new electric wiring and new lighting and safety screens.
There’s also a brand new mobile welding machine.
“Without the city funding we could not have done all this,” said La Grange assistant high school principal Nathan Truex, who said the city EDC spent just over $56,000 to help make the project happen.
That amounts to almost a third of the total cost of the project.
“We have to be focused on preparing our kids for life after high school,” said LHS principal John Pineda. “We talked
Old Welding Area
New Welding Area to local employers about what they look for in potential employees ... this is something extra we’re able to given them to prepare these students for our local workforce.”
The effort started years ago when educational aide Pam Keilers saw the need for the upgrades and asked the administration if she could pursue some grants to pay for it.
Keilers was able to get new lockers for the welding area thanks to the local Green Door Fund.
But she knew more needed to be done.
Some folks at the city over the years, Caleb Parks, Hannah Janda, and Emily Hudson, helped Keilers navigate the red-tape of trying to get a grant from the Texas Workforce Commission.
While the school didn’t ultimately get that state grant, the city saw the need for the upgrades and decided to pitch in themselves.
“They wanted to help us,” Keilers said of the city. “It’s taken two years from start to finish, so many meetings and presentations, but it’s so gratifying to hear these boys talk about the improvements.”
On a recent morning several of the welding booths were filled with students practicing welds.
They all spoke highly of the changes they have seen.
“It’s nice to be able to weld out here and have new materials,” said student Jeffrey Cabrera.
“The new holders they have for us help us weld better and at different angles. That really means a lot to us,” said student Raul Mancera.
“It’s far more organized and put together than it used to be,” said student Max Mc-Nulty. “And we have more welding spots, and that makes it easier and more accessible.”
LHS welding teacher Kevin Pittman is a busy guy. He teaches several sessions of beginning and advanced welding all day to 15-20 kids per class.
And he’s seen first hand the difference the upgrades have made for the students and his ability to teach them.
“The kids see the difference between the old and new and it gives them a sense of pride when they come out here that they have a place to practice and feel a part of something,” Pittman said. “What we had was workable, and we did what we could, but we outgrew it and it was falling apart. This is something that will last and something we can build on.”