The Burke School District has been awarded a $225,000 CTE Workforce Grant to improve its CTE facilities and programming. This grant will be applied to supplies and the construction of the new Agriculture Shop and Classroom. The building project is currently underway and will be completed by May of 2026.
The Workforce Education Grants provide school districts and private, nonprofit entities that provide specialized training in South Dakota the opportunity to make transformative change in career and technical education programs. High-quality CTE programs give students the knowledge, skills, and experiences to be well prepared for postsecondary education and the workforce. This grant will help provide a permanent home for the agriculture program in Burke. It will include a classroom with better space and seating to allow more students the opportunity to take classes, as well as a shop with a dedicated area for welding education.
Partnerships among secondary education, postsecondary education, and business & industry lay the foundation for modern CTE programs. Our district is blessed with outstanding community support and we would like to thank everyone who submitted a support letter on our behalf: Kelsea Sutton (bbpc), Rachelle Norberg, Alex Toupal (Bridgewater-Emery FFA), Ed Thompson (Trail King), Laura Petersen (Rancher’s Livestock Equipement and Welding), Jon and Ashley Zeisler, Sean Kelly (SDSU Extension), Chelsea Hutchinson (Gregory 4-H), Ross Keegan (CHS), Dan Cahoy, Amber Horn, Laurie Beauchamp, Myron Johnson, Erin Schulte, Kim Petersen (Bouquet and Brushstrokes), Russ Kieffer (Army Corp of Engineers), Mistie Drey (Community Memorial), Jeremy Wollman, and Deni Martin (Build Dakota Scholarship).