Watertown board approves Lake Area Tech equipment purchases, supplemental budget and a package of routine motions
October 14, 2025 | Watertown School District 14-4, School Districts, South Dakota
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The Watertown School District board approved multiple equipment purchases for Lake Area Technical College, a supplemental budget shifting 11 paraprofessionals to the special education fund, and a series of routine personnel and policy motions at its October meeting.
Lake Area Technical College reported record fall enrollment and multiple equipment purchases to the board. Cam Corey, vice president of Lake Area Technical College, told trustees the college's fall headcount reached 2,321 students, and that officials are "cautiously optimistic" the spring enrollment push could push total annual enrollment toward 2,800. "We've seen our largest growth in our health care fields," Corey said, and he credited new lab space for enrollment gains in surgical technology and dental programs.
Board members then considered a slate of capital purchases and contract actions for LATC programs, all funded through state equipment grants or the Perkins grant. Key authorizations approved by the board included:
- Telehandlers for the building trades technology program: low bid accepted from Acme Equipment, $127,990 (Perkins grant funding).
- Operatory instruments for the dental program: multiple vendors for an overall low-bid total listed at $93,084.21 (equipment grants).
- Radiology equipment for dental: combined purchases and a director purchase for a wall-mounted x-ray unit totaling $148,459.52 (equipment grants).
- A Peerless VRPRO virtual trainer for the law enforcement program from Maven Technologies, $49,999 (equipment grant).
- Energy training aids (mechanical drives/pump systems) for $284,720 (equipment grant, estimated).
- Simulation center technology (cameras, audio servers, installation) from Elevate Healthcare, $81,173.58 (equipment grant).
- Two training vehicles for law enforcement instruction from Lam Motors via South Dakota contract 17966, $91,292 (equipment grant).
Trustees also authorized use of the Purple Wave online auction platform to sell surplus district property, approved surplus of items including a glider and two airplanes (to be sold), and accepted several low- or no-cost equipment leases from TransSource, Stan Houston and Butler to support the heavy equipment operator program.
In separate fiscal actions, the board approved a supplemental budget that reclassified 11 FTE paraprofessionals primarily serving special education to the special education fund, representing a budget shift of $385,000; administrators said the special education fund ended the prior fiscal year with roughly $893,000 in reserves and can absorb the change. The supplemental budget also included a $21,550 increase to Title I-C migrant funds (pass-through state allocation).
The board approved a project development agreement with Johnson Controls to finish cooling system installations at Jefferson and Lincoln elementary schools and unit-ventilator updates at McKinley and Mallette. The project cost was described in the agreement as between $2.2 million and $2.4 million, with procurement starting as early as December 2025 and construction finishing by September 2026.
Trustees approved a policy of new premium-rate tiers for employee health insurance effective January 2026: a new employee-plus-children tier (estimated $200 per month savings to employees) and an employee-plus-spouse tier (estimated $75 per month savings). Open enrollment dates were announced as Nov. 1 6.
The board adopted the district's FY2024 6 annual financial report, which the administration said met the district target of maintaining operating fund balances at 15% or above. The administration reported a general fund year-end balance of $6.8 million (22.06% fund balance), a Capital Outlay Fund balance just over $5 million and a Special Education Fund balance of $2.9 million. Lake Area Tech enterprise activity reflected a $6.3 million ending balance (17.18%).
Multiple routine personnel actions were approved, including resignations, contract recommendations and hires, a military leave of absence and a request to add a special-education paraprofessional position at McKinley. The board also approved several first- and second-reading policy items related to transportation, emergency plans and elections.
Votes at the meeting were recorded by voice; motions carried unanimously unless noted. No contested roll-call tallies with named dissenting trustees were recorded in the transcript.
Lake Area Technical College reported record fall enrollment and multiple equipment purchases to the board. Cam Corey, vice president of Lake Area Technical College, told trustees the college's fall headcount reached 2,321 students, and that officials are "cautiously optimistic" the spring enrollment push could push total annual enrollment toward 2,800. "We've seen our largest growth in our health care fields," Corey said, and he credited new lab space for enrollment gains in surgical technology and dental programs.
Board members then considered a slate of capital purchases and contract actions for LATC programs, all funded through state equipment grants or the Perkins grant. Key authorizations approved by the board included:
- Telehandlers for the building trades technology program: low bid accepted from Acme Equipment, $127,990 (Perkins grant funding).
- Operatory instruments for the dental program: multiple vendors for an overall low-bid total listed at $93,084.21 (equipment grants).
- Radiology equipment for dental: combined purchases and a director purchase for a wall-mounted x-ray unit totaling $148,459.52 (equipment grants).
- A Peerless VRPRO virtual trainer for the law enforcement program from Maven Technologies, $49,999 (equipment grant).
- Energy training aids (mechanical drives/pump systems) for $284,720 (equipment grant, estimated).
- Simulation center technology (cameras, audio servers, installation) from Elevate Healthcare, $81,173.58 (equipment grant).
- Two training vehicles for law enforcement instruction from Lam Motors via South Dakota contract 17966, $91,292 (equipment grant).
Trustees also authorized use of the Purple Wave online auction platform to sell surplus district property, approved surplus of items including a glider and two airplanes (to be sold), and accepted several low- or no-cost equipment leases from TransSource, Stan Houston and Butler to support the heavy equipment operator program.
In separate fiscal actions, the board approved a supplemental budget that reclassified 11 FTE paraprofessionals primarily serving special education to the special education fund, representing a budget shift of $385,000; administrators said the special education fund ended the prior fiscal year with roughly $893,000 in reserves and can absorb the change. The supplemental budget also included a $21,550 increase to Title I-C migrant funds (pass-through state allocation).
The board approved a project development agreement with Johnson Controls to finish cooling system installations at Jefferson and Lincoln elementary schools and unit-ventilator updates at McKinley and Mallette. The project cost was described in the agreement as between $2.2 million and $2.4 million, with procurement starting as early as December 2025 and construction finishing by September 2026.
Trustees approved a policy of new premium-rate tiers for employee health insurance effective January 2026: a new employee-plus-children tier (estimated $200 per month savings to employees) and an employee-plus-spouse tier (estimated $75 per month savings). Open enrollment dates were announced as Nov. 1 6.
The board adopted the district's FY2024 6 annual financial report, which the administration said met the district target of maintaining operating fund balances at 15% or above. The administration reported a general fund year-end balance of $6.8 million (22.06% fund balance), a Capital Outlay Fund balance just over $5 million and a Special Education Fund balance of $2.9 million. Lake Area Tech enterprise activity reflected a $6.3 million ending balance (17.18%).
Multiple routine personnel actions were approved, including resignations, contract recommendations and hires, a military leave of absence and a request to add a special-education paraprofessional position at McKinley. The board also approved several first- and second-reading policy items related to transportation, emergency plans and elections.
Votes at the meeting were recorded by voice; motions carried unanimously unless noted. No contested roll-call tallies with named dissenting trustees were recorded in the transcript.
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