Educators and students at North County Trade Tech High School in Vista are preparing for their second year.

School officials say they expect this year to be more successful than their first, largely because they've had a chance to figure out what worked and what didn't.

"The first year was typical of many first years of school ---- a lot of trial, a lot of error and a lot of learning opportunities," said Kennedy Rocker, who oversees the teachers at Trade Tech.

The school prepares students for jobs in the construction industry. The curriculum was designed for students who would have a difficult time in a larger, mainstream high school or who want to get a construction or engineering job after graduating.

Trade Tech's six teachers and most of the 100 students are participating in leadership exercises this week to get ready for the upcoming school year, which starts Sept. 10.

This year's sophomores started last week with team-building and problem-solving exercises. This week, they'll work with the incoming freshmen to help welcome them and build a campus culture of cooperation, said math teacher Steve Prairie.

"The goal is to get them to work as teams," Prairie said. "It's really a nice way to start off the school year."

The "leadership camp" was paid for with a grant from the Girard Foundation, a La Jolla-based nonprofit group that focuses on improving education. The money ---- $265,000 over the next three years ---- also paid for six weeks of teacher training.

Enrollment is picking up, school officials said, but is only about half of what they had originally expected.

When the school opened in September, school officials said they were hoping for 100 freshmen. Only 40 signed up. This year, they have nearly 60 freshmen.

Although officials had planned to add 100 freshmen a year until the school had 400 students in grades nine through 12, now they hope to get 60 per grade level, for a total of 240 students by 2011, said Kathleen O'Sullivan, executive director of the school.

O'Sullivan said they decided to keep the school small as a way to offer a more one-on-one educational environment.

Because state funding is based on attendance, Trade Tech officials had to reduce their spending last year. This year, the school has a budget of more than $1 million.

The returning sophomores will learn more about engineering this year than they did last year. The school year will culminate with a final project to renovate housing for homeless veterans. Last year, the students did a similar but smaller project, building storage sheds for seniors.

"If you want to design it, engineer it or build it, this is the school for you," O'Sullivan said.

State test scores released last week show Trade Tech students struggled last year with English and math. Half of the students tested scored far below basic on the algebra test, while only 22 percent passed the reading portion of the exam.

These scores are on the high end when compared with other campuses that cater to students who are at risk of falling behind in a typical high school setting.

As a charter school, Trade Tech is a public school that operates independently from the chartering district ---- in this case, the Vista Unified School District.

The school serves an important function, especially for students who aren't heading to college after high school, said Carol Herrera, the school district's board president.

"There's a need for diversity in our public education," she said. "Even though their numbers are small there certainly is a need for the skills and the programs that they've developed."

More information about North County Trade Tech is available online at www.tradetechhigh.org.

Call staff writer Stacy Brandt at 760-901-4009.