(Updated 8-a.m. 12/15 with decision that followed a closed session)

Members of the Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education, Wednesday evening, heard from local developer Don Sonntag, with regard to the potential for the old YMCA building near 14th and Olive to be used as a Technical/Trades facility. If the Board should eventually choose to accept the building as a gift from the current owners, the District would have to pick up the cost of repair and remodeling the structure to accommodate large machinery used in manufacturing and other industries.

Don Sonntag

Sonntag said of the 21 companies in this area he’s contacted about a potential trades program, nearly all were in support of the idea. Sonntag said there are companies who are willing to donate specialized machinery and other equipment, and even four employers who are willing to pay $10,000 each to help defray program costs.

He said employers are experiencing a shortage of qualified laborers in the technical and trades industries, and it’s his goal to see a trade program going in Atlantic to help bridge the gap, something that hasn’t been done in years. Once the program is up and running he said, other school districts could be invited to participate.

The areas of potential training include: Electrical; HVAC; Factory Machine Operation; Welding; Mechanics; Carpentry; Truck Training & Operation; Blue Print instruction and Mechanical. Sonntag said also, he wanted to dispel some rumors about his and businessman Bob Camblin’s reasons for wanting the school to have the old YMCA building. He said neither man has any interest, ownership or any connection,” to the building. He said also “We would not receive any commission or anything else for helping ’em do it [giving the building away]. The owners he said, are still considering demolition of the structure if it can’t be transferred to the District.

It’s been estimated the cost to repair, renovate and remodel the building would be around $500,000. It needs a new roof, a recommended geothermal system to replace the old and inadequate HVAC system, and mold removal, on top of a large door cut into the south wall to allow for the addition of equipment and machines. Sonntag said the bottom line is that the right instructors and right program have to be in place to make a technical/trades program work.

He was asked by Board Member Dr. Keith Swanson, why such a program shouldn’t be left to the community colleges. Sonntag said “When the community colleges were set up, Atlantic and this area were pretty much put on the ‘back burner’ by our community college (meaning Iowa Western Community College. He said Mahle for instance, is sending its employees to Clarinda for training, and “We’ve gotta do a better job than the other guy, or we’re gonna find ourselves going down hill.”

Swanson said it was the expense of the trades/technical programs that caused them to evaporate from the scene in the first place, and they are expensive to run. Superintendent Mike Amstein told KJAN News Thursday, that the Board decided during a closed session at the end of regular business, to look at all the options available to them, for expanding career tech programs, and to begin looking at all facilities to meet the growing needs of the program.