Suncoast Technical College presentation highlights enrollment pressure, Northport expansion and grants

Suncoast Technical College leaders told the Sarasota County School Board on Feb. 18 that demand for career and technical education exceeds current capacity and that several grants and local allocations will support expansion.

Ron DePillo, executive director of career technical education and Suncoast Technical College, said the college offers almost 40 programs across seven locations and that dual-enrollment demand already exceeds available seats. "We have currently more applications than we have seats. The expansion of Northport is gonna help alleviate that," DePillo said. He said the college expects about 700 dual-enrollment seats at Northport after expansion.

Why it matters: The college supplies trained workers in high-demand fields — nursing, construction trades, emergency medical services and others — and works closely with the district on dual-enrollment pathways that let high school students earn college credits and industry credentials.

Grants and funding details: DePillo told the board the county has allocated $7,500,000 to facilitate Northport expansion. He said the college secured a $1,000,000 state grant for a regional fire-training facility that is ready to break ground, and a $700,000 capitalization grant to build a dual-enrollment HVAC program at Northport. He also said K-12 partners were awarded $1,000,000 to rebuild space at Northport for a construction academy. DePillo said the college expected to add approximately 50–100 seats initially and that capital projects and program starts were under way.

Program highlights: DePillo described workforce-driven program selection and noted a range of completions in recent months: nursing graduates, automotive service, marine service and paramedic/EMT training. He described a new patient-care-technology program that stacks CNA, phlebotomy and EKG certifications and an LPN-to-RN bridge that the college is piloting with state approval.

Board reaction and details: Board members praised the college’s work. "This is my fifth year as a school board member. From the time I started to where we are today, it's leaps and bounds," board member Mike Edwards said. Members noted the value of CTE programming for workforce pipelines, hospital growth near Northport and local partnerships.

Next steps: DePillo asked the board to continue support for expansion and to help secure approvals and funding. He said marketing and a lottery process will manage student placement while the district and college add capacity.

Ending: The board did not vote on capital allocations at the Feb. 18 meeting; DePillo indicated project funding and grant approvals were in process, and he asked the board for continued support as those plans advance.