Douglas County approves matching grant to back Peasley Tech apprenticeship program

The Douglas County Commission on May 27 authorized the county administrator to move forward with a Youth Apprenticeship Challenge grant to match community and industry contributions to the Peasley Tech Peasley Promise campaign.

County staff told commissioners the funding request had been discussed during the 2026 budget process and that staff had collected updated information from local school districts. Jill (county staff) said the county would reimburse Peasley for matching commitments tied specifically to youth entrepreneurship components of the Peasley Promise program.

Kevin of Peasley Tech said one federal program that supported youth apprenticeships (the Metallark program) is ending; he said that program provided roughly $1,200 per student and helped cover about 35% of the cost for 57 students in the most recent full term. Kevin told the commission Peasley expects enrollment to rise to about 78 students in the fall and that Peasley is pursuing memorandums of understanding with USD 497 and already has agreements with Baldwin and Odora districts.

Commissioners praised Peasley Tech’s work and described the grant as an investment in building the local workforce pipeline. Commissioner Kelly said the match requirement and industry involvement were attractive features because they tie training to employer demand. After brief public comment and follow-up questions about whether the funding was one-time, the board moved and seconded the authorization. The motion passed unanimously.

What comes next: staff will manage the matching grants and monitor district partnerships and Peasley’s fundraising progress. The county said it aims to ensure cost coverage for high school attendees through Peasley Promise and related MOUs with districts.

Notes: The Peasley presentation noted the end of the Metallark federal fund (about $1,200/student), Peasley’s report of 57 students served last full term, and an expected increase to 78 students in the fall. Peasley and staff indicated continued outreach to USD 497, Baldwin and Odora school districts to secure district funding commitments and sustain the program.