Lake Area Tech outlines scholarships and wins board approval for lease, equipment and design services
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Summary
Lake Area Tech officials told the board about new dual-credit scholarships and Build Dakota opportunities and secured board approval for a $15,000 office lease, a $142,495.75 CNC fiber laser purchase funded by Perkins, and Coop Architecture design work for a proposed trades center.
Lake Area Tech (LATC) used the Watertown School District board meeting to announce scholarships and events and to secure approval for several capital and contract items.
Cam Kory, LATC vice president, said the college’s foundation is offering scholarships for eligible students taking dual-credit courses; applications for those scholarships close Dec. 31. Kory also said the Build Dakota scholarship application window opens Jan. 1 and runs through March 31, and promoted LATC’s Ready, Set, Go Build Dakota employer-student event on Jan. 15.
On capital items, the board approved a one-year office lease at Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls for LATC’s Manufacturing and Technology Solutions (MTS) staff for $15,000 for calendar year 2026. Kory said the lease is funded through an MTS grant from NIST and gives LATC two office spaces and access to conference and training rooms.
The board also authorized purchase of a CNC fiber laser cutting table from the lowest responsive bidder, Productivity Incorporated, at $142,495.75 for the welding program. Kory told the board the purchase is funded through FY26 Perkins funds and had been budgeted at $225,000, so the district expects savings compared with the budgeted amount.
Finally, the board approved entering into architectural and engineering services with Coop Architecture to design a proposed trades center (fee $61,250) and campus edges/entrances (fee $23,500). Kory said the design step will allow the district to refine cost estimates and funding plans; he said construction would not begin before April 2027 at the earliest.
The meeting also included a consent vote to declare a vertical mill from LATC’s welding program surplus for sale; administration said the item will be listed on Purple Label.
Administration and board members asked routine procurement questions about bid ranges and vendor locations; Kory said he was not sure of Productivity Incorporated’s city of origin and that the bid range for the laser table varied widely. The board approved the items by voice vote.
Next steps: administration will finalize procurement paperwork, proceed with design agreements and publish scholarship application information through LATC and district channels.