Students in the auto repair classes worked on a 1999 Volkswagen Jetta GLS replacing and repairing different components in the car’s powertrain and brakes while also performing needed maintenance and servicing

Woodland High School’s Career & Technical Education (CTE) courses provide students with the opportunity to learn life skills and potential career paths including auto repair. Students in the school’s auto repair classes worked on a 1999 Volkswagen Jetta GLS replacing and repairing different components in the car’s powertrain and brakes while also performing needed maintenance and servicing, and now everyone will have the opportunity to bid on the car in a silent auction which will be held online on Fri., Feb. 17 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Woodland offers a wide variety of CTE courses so can have the opportunity to learn lifeskills which will benefit them for the rest of their lives while also exploring potential career paths in physical trades including metalwork, woodwork, culinary arts, agriculture, auto mechanics, Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD), and much more.

Wayne Miller, Woodland High School’s auto and metalwork teacher, points to the nationwide need for trade-based professionals as just one of the many great reasons for students to explore CTE classes. “Many professionals in automotive, welding, and construction are aging out and retiring,” he explained. “We are in a nationwide need of younger people to start in these fields and the career potentials are quite lucrative.”

In addition to helping students potentially find their lifelong careers, students not interested in pursuing careers in CTE fields can greatly benefit from the courses, too. “CTE classes provide students with real life experience in the world of work,” said Miller. “Every student should try a CTE class because there might be an aspect of a class that really piques their interest or introduces them to a new passion they hadn’t known they had before taking CTE.”

For Miller, watching students improve inspires his teaching. “I greatly enjoy seeing students grow and develop both their mechanical skills, but also their interpersonal skills,” he said. “Even in trades where professionals may work solitary, the need to develop interpersonal skills remains important for students to interact with colleagues, supervisors, and clients.”

Woodland’s CTE courses are among the specialized courses funded thanks to the Woodland community’s support of the Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) Levy. The current levy expires at the end of 2023 with the Replacement EP&O Levy on the ballot for the February 14 election.

How to participate in the silent auction for the 1999 Volkswagen Jetta GLS: 

This silent auction is open to any interested party. You do not need to be a resident of Woodland in order to bid on the Jetta. 

To preview the car in person:

If you would like to preview the car in person, you can do so on Mon., Feb. 13 between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. in the parking lot behind Woodland High School located at 1500 Dike Access Road in Woodland, WA 98674. RSVP with Wayne Miller via email at millerw@woodlandschools.org. 

How to register for the silent auction:

• Bidders must register in advance at the following webpage: https://bit.ly/WHS-1999VWAuction
• Registration is open now and will close on Wed., Feb. 15 at 4 p.m.
• All registrants will receive an email confirming their registration and providing them with their bidding page before the silent auction begins on Friday at 8 a.m. and will end at 4 p.m.
• During the silent auction, all bidders will have access to see the highest bid and may increase their bid as many times as they desire until 4 p.m.

The estimated Kelley Blue Book value for the car is $1,500 and the starting bid will be $1,000. If the winning bidder pays more than the Blue Book value of $1,500, the amount above $1,500 can be claimed as a tax-deductible donation as all funds raised from the car’s auction will support the high school’s SkillsUSA Automotive, Construction, and Metals Club.

More details about the 1999 Volkswagen Jetta GLS:

• Black Exterior / Black Leather Interior
• 168,868 miles
• 5-speed manual transmission
• Repairs and maintenance performed includes:
  • New Clutch and Flywheel
  • New spark plugs, plug wires, ignition module, engine oil and filter
  • New battery, rear brake pads, thermostat housing, brake line, and tie rod ends
• Vehicle runs and drives great with tires in good condition and brakes were bled
• The auto class put more than $550 in parts into the car not including the hours of labor worked by the students who returned the car to great running condition

Learn more about how Woodland Public Schools educates students and serves the community by visiting the dedicated news webpage at www.woodlandschools.org/news/wsd 

Information provided by Woodland School District.