JENKS, Okla. (KTUL) - Don Osburn has been working as a carpenter for himself for 30 years.
He says he was picking up some material when he saw a sign that Jenks Public Schools posted, searching for carpenters.
"I pursued it and got the job," Osburn said.
Jenks Schools is opening Northwest Elementary in August. In an effort to save money, Jenks Public Schools hired four carpenters for the job.
"We knew that our carpenters can build a really high quality product and if we could save money by building those in house then we wanted to go ahead and do that," Chief Information Officer Bonnie Rogers said.
Osburn, who graduated from Jenks in 1976, was one of those carpenters. He's helping put cabinets, cubbies and more into Northwest Elementary.
"Just cubbies alone there is 17,020," Osburn said. "The big storage cabinets, there is 300, and then the base cabinets there will probably be close to a thousand. It is a lot."
Rogers said Osburn and the three other carpenters will save Jenks Schools about $1 million.
"It is amazing that we have this opportunity to save this money and use it in other ways to make the facility the best it can be," Rogers said.
Osburn and his partners will install their custom bookshelves, cabinets and cubbies in all 95 of the new classrooms.
"It is kind of overwhelming when you look at the big picture, so we try to focus on certain things and get those done," Osburn said.
But Osburn said the fact that he is helping out the school, its teachers and the students makes it all worth it.
"It is a good feeling," Osburn said. "It really is. Kids will be using those cabinets for years and years I hope."
The project should be complete by the middle of next summer.