ON LOCATION - Standing where the future Lake Area Tech Student Services Center will be is LATI President Deb Shephard and Watertown Community Foundation Board Chairman Dale Christensen review construction plans. Groundbreaking for the 42,000 sq. ft. building and 9,000 sq. ft. remodel is scheduled for this September.
The Watertown Community Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to Lake Area Technical Institute to support the institute's Excellence by Design campaign.
The Foundation's grant brings LATI's ongoing contribution to our community full circle, explained Dale Christensen, WCF Board Chairman. "The impact LATI has on our local economy and what its graduates mean to our local employers is immeasurable," he said. "LATI is one of the best and cleanest industries in Watertown and our area. Students come to town, spend money and then either get a job here or somewhere in South Dakota."
"Education is directly related to the quality of life in our community," added Jan DeBerg, WCF Executive Director. "Education is a huge part of our mission."
Construction began in the fall of 2008 at LATI for its Excellence by Design four-phase enhancement project. Total cost of expansion is projected to be $28 million with completion planned for the fall of 2013.
LATI's current enrollment is 1,504 and Excellence by Design will enable LATI to attract more students to its facility. "Higher education is very competitive," explained Deb Shephard, LATI president. "There are fewer students graduating from high school and everyone is competing for those students." Shephard told the Foundation Board that scholarships are key to attracting students and so is the facility itself.
With that in mind, LATI starts new programs every two years to meet business and industry needs. Shephard also presented some impressive statistics. Many of LATI's students are first generation higher education students. Of the graduating class of 2009, 96% of graduates were employed or continued their education. Additionally, 90% remained in South Dakota and 89% of graduates were working in their training related career. LATI has a substantial positive impact on Watertown, and one in 12 Codington County residents is an LATI graduate. LATI is currently the second largest technical school in South Dakota. LATI's annual economic impact to the region is at $22.15 million. Furthermore, Chamber of Commerce reports estimate each dollar spent in a region has a residual impact of 7-8 times its original value. That calculates to an expanded economic impact of approximately $178.5 million annually to this region.
"The stats are unreal and speak volumes about what LATI means to our region," commented Christensen. "The economic impact is really unbelievable."
"The WCF Board and its donors are proud to have a part in LATI's future," added DeBerg. "This opportunity for the Foundation, LATI, and ultimately the community, wouldn't be possible without the donors. They deserve a big thank you."
Phase I of Excellence by Design is complete, open and occupied. This phase brought a 63,000 square-foot addition to the current Manufacturing Education Center to house the Diesel, Energy and Welding Technology and Energy Operations programs.
Phase II, will provide a new Automotive Technology facility, expansion and new classroom space for Building Trades Technology and an anatomy lab for the Health Science programs. Construction for this phase began in the late summer of 2009 and will be completed before school starts this fall.
Groundbreaking for Phase III is anticipated to take place mid to late August of this year with construction completed within one year. This two-story Student Services Center, considered a transformational building, will give students and visitors a true "entrance" and create a central location for admissions, a bookstore, financial aid and administrative offices in addition to providing large-group meeting areas, new classrooms and modern dining facilities.
Phase IV, scheduled to begin in 2012, features a new Agriculture Center and program renovations that will enhance training in Business, Cosmetology and Nursing programs. This phase will also add more parking for students.
This is the third time in the Foundation's 30-year history, that it has awarded such a substantial grant. The monies will be distributed over the next three years.
In 1997, the Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to the Boys and Girls Club for its expansion and in 2001, $250,000 was awarded for the Watertown Walking/Biking Trail- which was paid out over a three-year period.
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