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Beloit schools accept state grant for robotic welding cell; equipment purchase approved
Summary
The board approved accepting a state grant and authorizing purchase of a robotic welding cell and tooling (grant award ~ $100,000; purchase not to exceed $119,060, with matching in‑kind and partner support). The equipment will support a new advanced manufacturing pathway and a student enterprise called Knights Manufacturing.
Jeff Stenroos, director of Career & Technical Education (CTE) and alternative education, briefed the board on a recently awarded state grant that will fund a robotic welding cell and related tooling for Beloit Memorial High School’s vocational programming.
Grant details: The award covered $100,000 in equipment funding; the full itemized equipment package and tooling brought the requested purchase total to $119,000 (the board motion authorized purchase not to exceed $119,060). Stenroos said the grant’s funder asked the district to delay public announcement until formal acceptance; the grant period runs through June 30 and includes teacher training. The vendor package is a sole‑source solution and ties to FANUC certifications; the grant’s in‑kind match of training and related support exceeded $400,000 (letters of support from local industry and Blackhawk Technical College were provided during the application).
Programmatic uses: Stenroos said the robotic welding cell is portable and will allow the district to create an advanced manufacturing course sequence and a student‑driven enterprise (“Knights Manufacturing”) that blends welding and CNC work. The district plans teacher training in spring followed by student use in the next academic year.
Board action: A motion to approve acceptance of the CTE grant and the purchase of equipment not to exceed $119,060 passed by voice vote. The board also heard that there would be no district general‑fund cost for the purchase; local match and in‑kind partnerships support the remainder of program needs.
Why this matters: The purchase expands vocational and credentialing opportunities for students, aligns with local industry partners and aims to add state‑recognized credentialing (FANUC) and student enterprise experiences. The district identified the equipment as portable (able to be moved between labs and used for demonstrations) and sized to fit school facilities.
Ending: Staff will finalize the grant acceptance, place the equipment order and begin teacher training and installation per the grant schedule. Stenroos said the program partners include Stateline Manufacturing Alliance and Blackhawk Technical College. "It's a great opportunity," one board member said after the vote.
