The Auburn High School welding class is saving the school district money and time while perfecting fabrication skills.

Ron Cughans spacious classroom has become a bustling build-and-repair shop, restoring equipment and completing projects while extending valuable vocational skills for students.

“There’s always a number of things to do,” Cughan said. “If we fix something, then that’s money saved and used for other things.”

In these tough fiscal times, that spells cost-saving relief to the district.

Welding students have been busy repairing sports and maintenance-related items that save the district dollars. Students have worked on a variety of jobs, including repairing football blocking/tackling sleds, carts, pulley devices and kitchen equipment. Students also create new projects, such as the robotics entries of past and upcoming competition.

Students even made art identification stands for the City of Auburn and a metal dog house for Auburn Mountainview High School’s theatrical production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”.

“For my students, it is a real-life industry experience,” Cughan said. “They do as good a job or better as commercial welders, and at no charge.”

Students at Ilalko Elementary School are riding reinforced roller races in Dee Dee Goodspeed’s P.E. class, thanks to Cughan’s fabricators.

Ilalko students can’t get enough of the roller racers, which is why on occasion the scooters’ “rams-horn” design handlebars break off. Goodspeed turned to the high school metal shop for a more economical fix when she realized she did not have the budget to replace the $80 scooters.

Cughan’s crew welded the handlebars back onto the roller racers using new metal pieces.

“I have been getting help from the welding class for about 12 years,” Goodspeed said. “It saves us money for his students to weld my roller racers, so we don’t have to buy new ones. The kids love the roller racers, and I would say it is their favorite piece of equipment.

“In the struggling economy, this is a wonderful program, as it helps K-12 education.”

Senior James Babst, who is pursuing a career as a fabricator, enjoys the work and welcomes the chance to help out the district.

“It’s usually something different every day,” Babst said. “It’s always something new, a new challenge.”

Gratification comes from practice and production.

“They do real well,” Cughan said of his students. “They see the results of their work. There’s always an opportunity to improve on their skill levels and their knowledge.”

Cughan is grateful to local companies like Pacific Metal Fabrication and Duct Fabricators that donate scrap metal and other welding materials for students to use in the classroom.

Amy Spence, Auburn School District public information officer, contributed to this report.