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Cary Grove auto students rebuild fire-district vehicle engine in partnership with Cary Fire Protection District
Summary
At a CHSD 155 board meeting, staff recognized Cary Grove auto students who rebuilt and installed a replacement engine for a Cary Fire Protection District fleet vehicle in a hands-on collaboration led by auto teacher Dan Jagurski and supported by Chief Dela Torre.
Shannon Posnick, director of communications for CHSD 155, opened a student-recognition segment at the board meeting by inviting members of the Cary Grove auto program and the Cary Fire Protection District to the podium to describe a collaborative engine-repair project.
The project began when two students, identified by their teacher as Casey and Eddie, brought forward the idea of performing an engine swap for a district fire vehicle whose motor had failed. "At one point, students, Casey and Eddie, came up to me and they say, 'Hey, Jay, would you like to do an engine swap?'" said Dan Jagurski, an auto teacher at Cary Grove. Jagurski said he formed a small senior seminar group of five or six students to troubleshoot the failed engine, locate a replacement motor and perform the repair using manufacturer repair software and proper torque procedures.
"We decided it's not just to tear the engine out and leave it — we have to do everything right torque everything and make sure it's a running driving vehicle," Jagurski said. He praised his students for taking ownership and for carrying the project through to a successful, drivable outcome.
Chief Dela Torre of the Cary Fire Protection District described the department's need and the arrangement: "In 2023 we had an incident with the vehicle and the motor failed ... Insurance wasn't covering it. ... We got a used motor from the local junkyard and talked with Dan and had it all put together and we brought it in ... by end of last year, the guys had it running and operable and we actually drove away." He credited the students with troubleshooting and returning the engine to service for the department's bureau fleet.
Jagurski also thanked the fire district for donating higher-end tools for the program and for providing lunches during the project. Students and school staff described the repair as an educational opportunity that combined technical skill, troubleshooting and “real-world” responsibility. Several students who spoke from the audience noted career aspirations related to commercial driving, mechanics and shop trades, and one student said they were already training in CDL school.
The board joined staff and students for a photo at the end of the recognition. Posnick framed the presentation as an example of district career-technical education working with local government partners to provide hands-on career experiences for students.
Haber Oaks and other district programs were recognized separately during the meeting, and board members thanked staff and partners for the collaboration that enabled the Cary Grove project.
