PIERRE, S.D -- The Department of Education has awarded four grants totaling nearly $3.8 million to school districts to purchase equipment for new or existing career and technical education (CTE) programs. The grants were made possible by Senate Bill 59 from the 2023 legislative session, which allocated $5 million for CTE programs throughout the state. 

“These grants are an investment not only in schools, but in the industries that support the South Dakota communities in which these students live,” said Secretary of Education Joe Graves.

Each grant supports collaboration among school districts to bring innovative CTE programs to students, which magnifies the lasting impact of this important grant program.

 CTE programs integrate academic knowledge with technical skills, preparing students for careers through hands-on training and industry-aligned curriculum. By emphasizing real-world applications and essential employability skills, CTE equips students with the tools they need for success in both college and the workforce in fields such as agriculture, healthcare, hospitality, engineering, and more.

The recipients of the grants are as follows: 

• CTE Academy in Sioux Falls: $1,000,000 will be used to establish a cutting-edge urban agriculture center as an extension of the CTE Academy's existing hospitality program. The CTE Academy supports students in Baltic, Brandon Valley, Garretson, Harrisburg, Parker, Sioux Falls, Tea, Tri Valley, and West Central School Districts.
• Willow Lake: $278,212 will enable the exchange of CTE programs between the Clark and Willow Lake School Districts, enhancing access to clusters such as health science, manufacturing, and transportation for students in both districts.
• Northeast Technical High School (NTHS) l in Watertown: $1,000,000 for courses in health science, agriculture, construction, manufacturing, transportation, and hospitality. NTHS supports students from Castlewood, Florence, Henry, Summit, Watertown, and Waverly-South Shore School Districts.
• Huron School District: $1,516,093 to facilitate the purchase of two mobile labs to serve multiple districts, enhancing CTE programs in transportation, hospitality and tourism, STEM, manufacturing, and agriculture/food and natural resources. The Huron CTE program will also support students from Hitchcock/Tulare, Sanborn Central, and Wolsey/Wessington Springs School Districts.

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