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Matthews CTE teacher outlines student-built tiny‑home project to fund carpentry program
Summary
Wesley Robbins presented an 8x24-foot student-built tiny home to the Matthews County School Board, proposing partnerships and donated labor to keep upfront costs near $40,000 and sell the finished home for an estimated $80,000–$90,000 to seed a self-sustaining CTE fund.
Wesley Robbins, the CTE carpentry teacher at Matthews High School, presented a student-built tiny‑home project to the school board on Sept. 17, describing an 8‑by‑24‑foot, 192‑square‑foot home built on a trailer with energy‑efficient windows, LED lighting, tankless hot water and industry‑grade finishes.
Robbins said the build is designed as a hands‑on, interdisciplinary learning experience for the division’s carpentry students, touching carpentry, electrical, plumbing, interior design and project management. He said the program will follow state competencies for carpentry courses and give students exposure to job‑readiness skills and real‑world trade practices. “It will give them an opportunity to be involved in the process of planning something that has much more detail,” Robbins said during his presentation.
Robbins described a partnership model in which local contractors donate materials or labor: a roofing company committed to supplying and installing a standing‑seam metal roof during school hours, flooring and tile suppliers offered materials and installation, and licensed electricians and plumbers agreed to perform work that must be completed by professionals. He estimated the program still would need roughly $40,000 in upfront funds for components not covered by donations.
Robbins said comparable school builds and dealer comps put a likely resale value for a finished unit between $80,000 and $90,000. The plan, he said, is to market the first build to create a recurring fund to sustain the program in future years rather than rely entirely on annual fundraising.
Board members and residents asked about code compliance, target buyers and student participation. Robbins said the home will be built to applicable codes for tiny homes and that approximately 43 students in the carpentry program will participate at varying levels, with second‑ and third‑year students doing more complex tasks. Residents and board members encouraged regional apprenticeship collaborations and noted the potential for one school build per year as a funding model.
The board did not take a formal vote on program funding during the meeting. Robbins and several residents urged continued community and contractor support to keep the project viable and educational for students.
