“We’re six months ahead of schedule,” said Superintendent Todd Abrahamson. “This wasn’t scheduled to open until this fall.”

He and his staff had to do a little creative thinking of their own to get the center up and running.

“I’m always looking for ways to find more money for our kids,” said Abrahamson. “This was actually charter school money from the federal government we applied for through the state.”

Isn’t charter school a concept that makes some school officials nervous?

“Well, you’ll notice I haven’t used that phrase around here,” he said before adding, “but this is a school within a school.”

The grant was $400,000, all of which was used to get the facility up and running.

Svenby said students are in different stages of development, from planning to implementation.

“Some of the students will actually be running their business out of here,” Svenby said.

Not only does that space on the Sigourney square provide room for the young business leaders, it really is a business.

“We wanted a storefront,” said Svenby, who opens the center five days a week. “You’re not in class; you’re going to the office.”

And that’s where they learn, she said, by actually doing what they studied in school.

For example, one student has an eBay business, listing items for people who want their item sold on the auction site. Customers can actually bring their knick-knack to the office.

Next door to Christner’s archiving startup is “Crouse Creek Quail, Eryn Utterback, owner.” Her business is at an advanced stage of development. She’s already acquired some baby quail at home.

Utterback will raise and sell them. There’s a shortage in Iowa, she said, and her business could help relieve that shortage. But who would buy wildlife?

“Around this area, hunters can use them for their scent to help train their dogs,” she said.