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PHS woodshop unveils significant remodel
Thanks to a couple’s generosity and the efforts of the technical education teachers, Plymouth High School students returned from summer break to a thoroughly remodeled woodshop.
“The new layout of the shop makes day-to-day work more efficient and safer,” said tech ed teacher Jake Sherman. “The last time any major changes were made in there was when the school was built in the 1960s.”
The project is expected to have a significant impact on student learning. “Every change in this remodel was made with students in mind: a safe, organized, modern woodshop built for hands-on learning, where students are able to develop the skills industry expects,” according to the final report.
The woodshop received nine new machines and – perhaps just as importantly – extensive facility upgrades. “The facility improvements are important to the Tech Ed Department,” Mr. Sherman said. “Even if tools wear out, the infrastructure will last.”
The remodeling was funded largely by a significant donation by Jerry and Pat Moriarity.
The Moriaritys, who for many years have funded scholarships for their alma mater, UW-Milwaukee, recently created the Moriarity Trades Scholarship after noticing that it has become harder and harder to find an electrician, plumber, etc.
Two members of the PHS Class of 2026 received $2,500 scholarships to attend technical school, and the Moriaritys have pledged to continue the scholarship for the next 10 years.
“We feel very blessed the way our lives turned out,” Mr. Moriarity recently told Board of Education members as they toured the renovated woodshop.
But they wanted to do more, and asked the tech ed team if they could help with some project. The teachers quickly thought of an update to the woodshop, which most needed modern improvements.
Technology Education and Engineering instructors Beau Biller, Greg Gritt, Ken Odekirk, and Jake Sherman spent the past year planning the project, then shepherded the work over the summer. They expressed their appreciation to school administrators, Business Manager Amy Williams, and school custodians James Gatz and Jason Schilling for supporting the project.
The tech ed team also thanked the Moriaritys for both the scholarships and the remodeled woodshop. “The facility improvements will have an impact on current students, while the scholarships will have a long-term impact for graduates, changing their lives by providing opportunities they might never have had,” Mr. Sherman said. “We’re going to be seeing a ripple effect of their generosity.”
Bob Travis, Board of Education president, also thanked the Moriaritys. “You’ve transformed this area, and it’s going to pay off,” he told them. “This will help our mission to provide a comprehensive education.”
The Moriaritys – along with the others in the room – are looking forward to the return on their investment. “I hope the students answer the phone in the future when we need an electrician or plumber or HVAC technician,” Mrs. Moriarity said, drawing laughter.