Kimberlee Browne uses a brush to clear metal shards from the cutting deck of precision machining equipment at Lake Area Technical College in Watertown on Jan. 20, 2023. Browne was demonstrating the capabilities she learned in a state Department of Corrections program supported by four of the state’s technical colleges. (J.T. Fey/for South Dakota Searchlight)
The governor-appointed board overseeing the state’s technical colleges endorsed a $49 million state budget request for fiscal year 2027 on Thursday, which includes requests for increased student support and infrastructure funding across South Dakota’s four technical colleges.
The vote came during the South Dakota Board of Technical Education’s meeting at Western Dakota Technical College in Rapid City. Board Executive Director Nick Wendell presented the priorities, which he said were developed in collaboration with the state’s technical college presidents. It now heads to the governor’s administration for consideration during the state budget process.
Universities push to restore campus maintenance funding after $9 million legislative cut
The state’s four public technical colleges are Lake Area, Mitchell, Southeast and Western Dakota. The board is responsible for setting policy, approving budgets, and advocating for resources that support career-focused education and workforce development. The board is composed of nine members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate.
The approved request of $49 million is up $2 million from the previous fiscal year.
About $41 million would go toward the per-student allocation, raising it to $6,992 (up $158) per pupil. The funds help cover the basic costs of running the technical colleges, including instruction, equipment and campus operations. The per-student increase accounts for a 2.5% inflation adjustment and a request to allocate $3 million for equipment funding into the ongoing budget, rather than relying on one-time requests year after year.
The board also approved a request to nearly double maintenance and repair funding, bringing it to $3.84 million from $1.8 million. Wendell said the request aims to restore the state’s original 2018 plan to match 1% of the total replacement value of technical college facilities, with the system contributing the other 1% to meet a shared 2% investment goal.
The state’s fiscal year budget proposal will be developed by the governor and considered by legislators during the upcoming winter legislative session.
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