Principal Skip Offenhauser had an idea – by demolishing two walls and building a new wall, he could double the size of Tumalo Community School’s computer lab, which held only eight students at a time.

But when he crunched the numbers, it appeared as if his vision for a new computer lab was not to be.

”To throw the building costs on top of the computer costs, it wasn’t going to happen,” Offenhauser said. ”We had enough for the computers or enough for construction, but not enough money for both.”

When Tumalo parent Holly McKinney heard that the school could not afford the construction, she wouldn’t accept it.

”I think we can do this,” she said during a meeting of the school’s parent/teacher group. ”Come on, we all know electricians and builders. It seems like everyone around here is in construction. We can do this.”

Despite having two children and 28 cows, in what she now jokingly refers to as a ”moment of insanity,” McKinney agreed to spearhead the community effort. She sent fliers home with the kids and personally solicited help from parents and local businesses.

”Nobody said no,” McKinney said. ”And the local businesses were open and generous.”

Demolition started in early June right after classes ended for summer break. Work is expected to be completed before school starts in September.

”Everyone has their niche, their specialty, their skill that they can offer to the school,” Offenhauser said.

This project was a chance for those with construction skills to use their expertise for the benefit of the school, he said.

The school is living up to its name, which was changed from Tumalo Elementary School to Tumalo Community School when they added middle school students.

”We chose that name because the school plays a large role in the community and we emphasize parental involvement here,” Offenhauser said.

More than 20 volunteers from the community have pitched in to renovate the computer lab. Countertops Unlimited, Deschutes Window and Door and Central Oregon Building Supply all donated materials or provided materials at cost. THT Electric donated an electrican to fix the wiring. J. Helm Enterprises Inc. donated labor to put in the drywall. And parents Clay Brown, Alan Beakman, Dale Peer and Michelle Harvey all chipped in after work or on the weekends doing everything from framing to carpentry to painting.

McKinney estimates that, by the time the computer lab is done, approximately 50 hours of total labor will have been donated to the project by the volunteers.

The final cost will be around $1,500, for supplies, a fraction of what the job would have cost. It will be completely paid for by the parent/teacher group, freeing the school’s technology funds to go toward computers to fill the new space, which can now hold 30.

This is not the first time that the community has come together to help the Tumalo school.

The parent-teacher group has raised money from the community to remove asbestos tiles from the gym floor and to fund the school’s Kids First program, which helps kindergarten students that need extra help learning to read.

The community is throwing a Tumalo Block Party on Aug. 28 to raise money for improvements to the school’s track.

”It is pretty phenomenal, if people put their minds to it, what they can do,” said Tumalo Community School media specialist Karin Pledger.

”People want to help, even if it is just a little bit.”

Teachers will now have the freedom to assign more computer-based projects, especially for the middle school students. They will be able to introduce computer skills to younger students. And, because they administer state standardized testing online, the new lab will allow them to get it done in half the time.

Pledger said having a new computer lab built by community volunteers will help teach the student’s the importance of giving back to the community. ”Everyone just gave a little bit of their time, but look what we’ve accomplished,” she said. ”I’m also the lucky recipient of this, so I feel blessed. I’m humbled. I can’t believe they are doing this.”

She quickly added that none of this would have been possible without McKinney’s tireless work.

”Be careful what you wish for, especially around Tumalo,” Pledger said.

”If somebody hears it, it just might come true.”