The buzzing saws, spinning drills and scratching sandpaper have come to a stop for dozens of woodshop students at Durango High School, but not before they were able to finish a few tables for preschoolers.

The preschool desks were one of many community projects produced by woodshop students before the machines went quiet and students were sent home to help limit the spread of the coronavirus, said Brandon Thurston, assistant principal and director of Career and Technical Education at DHS.

Students built three tables using recycled and donated materials and hand files. Two were given to the Early Learning Center not far down the hall at the high school.

Toddlers took to climbing on top of the small tables, and screws connecting the legs of the table to the top became loose. Thurston took the table back to the woodshop, so students could make their project sturdy enough for even the most rambunctious toddler.

“It’s less about a scripted curriculum and more about demonstrating skills,” Thurston said.

The curriculum has become even less scripted with remote learning. Most students no longer have access to the power tools needed to complete projects, so they are now doing “project research” and given a chance to build something at home, using the materials and equipment available.

“When we don’t have access to those things, we have to go deeper into the theory and practice and more of the planning side,” Thurston said. “It’s a real good place to go to.”

Students are encouraged to work with their hands, use math skills and create designs – all things that are crucial to woodworking.

“You can’t match it where you have access to tools and technology that you wouldn’t have at home,” Thurston said. “You’ve got access to professionals that know what they’re doing in school, but you may or may not have that at home.”

Demand for career technical education classes at DHS has increased so much in recent years that the space and the staff for CTE programs at the school are maxed out, Thurston said.

The Durango School District is exploring the possibility of building a separate CTE educational facility, and it’s among the top priorities cited as officials consider asking voters to approve $90 million to $120 million in bonds.

More students are looking to skills-based programs to make them competitive for jobs that require training or the ability to work collaboratively and creatively with others, said Shawn Smith, woodshop teacher at DHS.

Smith has been at DHS for more than two decades. In that time, fewer students have made a college education a priority, he said. Students and educators recognized a need for building skills in high school, and community businesses and organizations have come out to help, he said.

“The pendulum is swinging back,” Smith said.

Engaging students with the community also gives them a sense of accomplishment and pride in their work, Thurston said. Local contractors have donated materials and time to the woodshop, and some have offered internships and jobs after graduation, he said.

“Community relationships with the kids are mutually beneficial,” Thurston said. “It cultivates and grows a tighter bond between us and the community.”

Herald Staff Writers Shane Benjamin and Patrick Armijo contributed to this report.