For more than a decade, the Clarke Community School District, the City of Osceola, and the Clarke County Development Corporation (CCDC) have collaborated to build single-family homes across the city, giving Clarke industrial tech students hands-on experience in construction while adding new, affordable housing to the community.
In 2024 and 2025, the program completed one home each year, both of which sold and were occupied shortly after completion. Now, thanks to a trade agreement with CCDC, the City of Osceola will, for the first time in the program’s history, provide two build-ready lots.
“Working with the City and the School District to bring new homes to the community is a great way to meet the needs of our growing community,” said Andrew Clark, CCDC Executive Director. “And, by providing the space for two new homes, we hope to give more students the opportunity to literally build into our community’s future.”
With the basement and foundation poured, the latest Clarke Community Schools’ Tech House project is ready for students to get rolling in the new semester.
The Clarke Tech Housing Program is part of the district’s building trades curriculum and often partners with Southwestern Community College (SWCC) and local contractors. Students gain valuable, real-world training in areas such as building design, materials management, project coordination, and construction techniques. They also get experience in the sales and marketing side of housing, skills that extend well beyond the classroom.
SWCC students contribute specialized work on each home, including finish carpentry. Local contractors and realtors round out the experience, guiding students through final construction steps and the process of bringing a house to market.
“We’ve been very pleased with the students’ results over years,” said Ty Wheeler, Osceola City Administrator. “The program produces well-built homes that strengthen neighborhoods, replace blighted properties, and increase overall property values.”
As an added boost to the program, for the next build, Snyder Plumbing, Cooling, Heating & Electric LLC of Osceola has committed to donating labor and materials for one of the upcoming student-built homes. In recognition of that contribution, the City of Osceola has pledged $25,000 from the proceeds of the home’s eventual sale back to the Clarke Community Schools Tech Housing Construction Program. The generous trade offer creates an exciting cycle of community investment, helping offset future costs while allowing more students to gain hands-on construction experience for years to come.
The lots secured for the 2026–27 and the 2027-28 school years are located at the corner of Truman Road and Sunflower Lane. Site preparation, including land clearing and grading, kicked off just after the 4th of July. The 0.98-acre parcel will be divided into two roughly half-acre lots, each with a new home built through the student program. Schedules for completion and sale of both projects is yet to be determined.