Leaders of South Dakota’s technical college system are preparing to ask lawmakers for $11 million in one-time state funding to support critical renovation and construction projects at two campuses in the eastern part of the state.
During an online meeting Thursday, the presidents of Lake Area Technical College in Watertown and Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls outlined their building priorities to the Board of Technical Education. Executive Director Nick Wendell said the timing was right to pursue special funding.
“I think, in both cases, they check some important boxes as we think about our strategic priorities and growing graduate capacity in the system between now and the middle part of the next decade,” Wendell said.
Wendell noted he will meet next week with Gov. Larry Rhoden and the Bureau of Finance and Management to discuss the proposal, which comes in addition to the board’s previously approved $49 million request for ongoing funding. While the board did not formally vote on the one-time ask, Wendell said he sensed a “spirit of support” from its members.
Even with tight state revenue projections, Wendell said his office anticipates some one-time allocations for targeted projects. “We’re following the same ongoing revenue projections everyone else is, including the funding that might be challenging to come by,” Wendell told South Dakota Searchlight. “But if there are opportunities for one-time funds, we wanted to identify some of those targeted projects we think would be great priorities to invest in.”
Lake Area Tech is planning a $4 million renovation of 14,000 square feet in its student center. The project would centralize services such as counseling, testing, and adult education, which are currently spread across campus. The college will contribute $1 million and ask the state for $3 million.
President Tiffany Sanderson emphasized the importance of upgrading the adult learning center, which is housed in a building that has reached the end of its usable life. That space is slated to be replaced by a public safety training center in the coming years.
“The total plan over the next 10 years is about $100 million in investment, so this is just 4% of that total project,” Sanderson said. “But it’s a really critical 4% to build early momentum.”
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Wendell added that improving student services is essential for recruiting non-traditional students. “In many cases, those are students that will need access to student services to find success on our campuses,” he said.
Southeast Tech is seeking funding for a new center for advanced manufacturing that will consolidate programs in maintenance technology and mechanical engineering, while also adding 34,000 square feet of lab and classroom space.
The college also intends to expand its welding facilities by 12,000 square feet, creating a shared fabrication space with advanced manufacturing programs. President Cory Clasemann said the expansion is necessary to meet demand.
“This is really the linchpin of several other pieces,” Clasemann said.
The $24 million project includes $16 million for the new building, $7 million for the welding expansion, and $1 million in design fees. The school has already raised $1.5 million in private funding and plans to raise another $8 million. Additionally, $6.5 million has been secured from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which must be spent by 2031.
“We’re mindful of federal spending at the moment, so we’d rather spend them sooner rather than later,” Clasemann explained.
The expansion will double enrollment capacity in mechanical engineering and increase maintenance technology slots by 50%. That growth will also create space to expand additional programs.
Clasemann said the school needs “a couple more million dollars” to begin construction on the advanced manufacturing building, even before securing funds for the welding expansion.
If approved, the funding requests would provide a significant boost to South Dakota’s technical education system, supporting industry demand, workforce development, and student success in the coming decade.
Originally reported by Makenzie Huber in South Dakota Search Light.
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