Annually, students at CCCHS construct a house. On the north side of the school sits a concrete foundation that has held tens of houses which are built on-site, then transported to their permanent destination. 

The tradition was honed under Steve Deutscher, who served as the school’s building trades teacher for 30 years. However, he said the tradition pre-dated his tenure when teacher LaVon Ediger’s students built three on-site homes, starting in 1970. (Subject continued on page 10.)

Deutscher then took over the program in 1973 after Ediger left to work as a contractor. 

Deutscher said the class began by building garages for people in the community – one in the fall, another in the spring. Then in the winter they would work on various community jobs, like finishing basements. They also remodeled the school ag building that is now the USD 379 Board Office and built the press box at the former stadium. 

“That’s how we got started,” Deutscher said. Then, he took on two off-site home projects, first in 1982 for his neighbor, Harvey Krause, on A Street, then in 1986 for then-chemistry and physics teacher, Jack McChesney, on the 1400 block of Huntress Street. 

Deutscher said he remembers that project as they used 50-year concrete shingles for the build. 

“He had no problem at all with hail damage,” he said. “Recently, we couldn’t figure out whose idea it was but I think it was a combination. It was maintenance free and I wanted the challenge of something different to try out.”  

Deutscher said the change meant more weight on the house; he went to an engineer at K-State to determine changes they would need in order to support the shingle weight of 26,000 pounds. The class built trusses to the professor’s specs, which meant 2x6s for top and bottom chords. 

McChesney had a sign in his yard that named the kids who worked on the house and kept it in his yard for years. 

“That was handy because we were right next to the school,” Deutscher said. It also provided him with an idea: building homes at the school, which could then be moved. Like how modular homes are made. 

He and the drafting teacher, Melvin Cales, came up with the idea. “We decided we were going to build a house together,” he said. Adding that the latter’s classes drafted the plans. The goal was to make the home simple but functional. 

After getting the go-ahead from then-superintendent, Ross Knitter, the project was a go.

They also got the support of Wayne Reed, a local contractor, as the students needed to work underneath a licensed worker. 

“He would go to the coffee shop and Tasty Pastry and brag on our program,” he said. “He became their number one supporter; he just loved working with those kids.” 

The summer before 1989, Deutscher and his son poured a concrete foundation on which to build the house; it still stands next to the school today. 

After the plans were ready, Cales’ class would help with the wiring (with city permission) and woodworking. “That’s how we started,” he said. “We sheet rocked, taped it, painted it.” 

But it wasn’t just the pair of teachers who became involved; they brought in more from the school. The business class would track bills and expenses and home economics classes would design colors, finishes, sew curtains, and more. Art students sometimes helped with painting, too.

“Everything went back and forth, so the kids got experience with real-life numbers. We wanted to involve the total school as much as we could and as much as they wanted, it was a school project rather than just my classes and Mr. Cales’ classes.” 

Another stipulation, Deutscher said, was that all materials were purchased locally. 

“I never bought a dime’s worth out of town, the tax money was supporting this project,” he said. “I felt like everything was going to be bought in our county.” 

After the house was complete, the district hosted an auction. Whoever purchased it would have a foundation laid and paid to move the house. 

“It was a functional house because we sold them,” Deutscher said. “We changed it up each year up until toward the end we found what was selling good then we stayed with it.” 

He said the project allowed students to learn real-life skills. 

“We never had anybody come in and help finish it,” he said. “However we did hire a carpet layer.” 

As for additional features of the homes, Deutscher compared it to coaching football (he served as an assistant coach during his time at the school): it depended on what the students could do.

“You can run certain plays when you have certain talent; you can’t throw deep passes when you have a kid who throws it 20 yards,” he said. “Coaching and teaching, there wasn’t much difference.” 

Throughout the years, Deutscher remembered giving tours of the homes and pointing out the work of his students. One year, he thought the meeting was a waste of time when a potential buyer showed up with long hair and a raggedy beard. The man ended up being an undercover cop – looking the part for work – and purchased the house soon after. In fact, he became the program’s biggest supporter, encouraging family members to buy in subsequent years. 

These Tiger Houses – a name that came after Deutscher’s tenure – are located across the county. 

Deutscher oversaw the completion of 17 homes during his tenure.

After retiring, Deutscher was hired by Chapman, where he created a similar project at their high school. He stayed for three years and the program continued for another seven before it was closed.

Now re-retired, he keeps in touch with many former students, many of whom went into the construction business. He sits on the school’s Tiger House advisory board, and said many students will frequently call on him to work.

“Now I’m working for them,” he said. “It used to be the other way around.”