Bill Funding Construction Of Career Tech Education Centers Passes House Committee
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BISMARCK — The House Appropriations Committee voted unanimously Wednesday, Jan. 18, to bring up a bill to fund the construction of job training centers across the state.
The bill under consideration — House Bill 1199 — would help school districts deal with delays in the distribution of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to build vocational and technical education. It would also authorize the Bank of North Dakota to provide a line of credit of $68,276,228 — the remaining amount of ARPA funds not yet made available to the state by the federal government — to expedite construction.
House Majority Leader Mike Lefort, a Dickinson Republican and sponsor of the bill, said waiting for ARPA funds to fund these projects is hurting the state financially.
"More than $88 million in ARPA funding has been allocated to establish vocational and technical academies across the state," Lefort said. “However, only $20 million of this fund has been allocated for this purpose. This delay in sanctioning funds has affected 13 projects across the state. Additionally, the cost of these projects has increased due to inflation and supply chain issues."
Eric Ripley, Grand Forks Public Schools' executive director of career education and technology, said he and many other projects across the state have been put on hold since the district's $10 million Career Influencing Academy was approved by the state Vocational Technical Education Board in March 2022.
"Funding delays have impacted our project schedule and budget," Ripley said. “In the Grand Forks area, we see the Career Impact Academy as an important component in meeting our workforce needs. This bill represents a positive step forward in revitalizing projects and expanding our collective efforts to provide high-quality CTE across the state. »
In speaking in support of the bill, Anna Nelson, president of the Williston Borough Chamber of Commerce, spoke about workforce challenges in the region and the positive impact technology career centers can have in building a skilled workforce.
"The most disturbing statistic I've come across recently is that we have an average of 10 biographies for every work published in a region," Nelson said. “These figures are a microcosm for the rest of the states. Service quality suffers, staff are overworked, education and investment are hampered. People are a company's most valuable asset, and locating career and technology centers allows us to invest in all North Dakota residents. »
Exile includes primary and secondary education news, as well as district committee coverage.
