STRONG – During Noah Moses’ class in construction Thursday afternoon, dexterity, work ethic and knowledge of the Pythagorean theorem all seemed to play key roles.

“I cross the curriculum so much with this teaching it’s unreal,” he said.

Moses began the Construction Technology Program at Strong-Huttig High School in the fall, replacing the Vocational Agriculture Program that preceded it. Moses said he believed that job opportunities in construction in Arkansas now outpace the ones in agriculture — and so he overhauled a program that had been in place since the mid-1980s....