County approves lottery funds for welding lab expansion at CTE campus

Iredell County commissioners consented to use lottery repair-and-renovation funds to expand a welding shop at the county career and technical school, approving a budget amendment for the project.

A school system presenter told the board the project would double current welding capacity, describing the trade as “the fastest growing, most popular” in the district’s CTE program. LaFave Construction submitted the low bid of $650,000, the presenter said, with most of that amount attributable to mechanical, electrical and HVAC work needed for ventilation and air quality in the lab. Mitchell Community College has pledged equipment contributions roughly equal to the county’s construction responsibility, the presenter said.

Board members and staff said they had worked with teachers and the design team on space configuration to accommodate the additional stations without a total re‑design. The presenter said the work was expected to begin this summer and continue into the fall if the board approved using lottery funds for the project.

Commissioners also discussed the county’s share of lottery funding, with one commissioner expressing frustration that state and association practices reduce local capital dollars available to schools. The presenter clarified the county receives two pots of lottery funds and that the repair‑and‑renovation pot for this project is a smaller allotment; the presenter said the district receives less than $2 million in lottery funds year to year and that the repair-and-renovation portion is constrained.

The board approved the request by unanimous consent. The consent action covered the budget amendment to use lottery repair-and-renovation funds and authorization to proceed with the LaFave bid and the partnership arrangement with Mitchell Community College.