BEATRICE – Southeast Community College is tapping the brakes on projects in Beatrice and Milford, to focus on forging ahead with a new welding facility on the Lincoln campus. Board member Kathy Boellstorf is with the college board’s finance and facilities committee.

"The Ag facility building that's been a need since I came on the board and even before that, is on pause. It's a financial issue. The same way with the Construction Trade Center at Milford...that one's on pause. The good news on that one is that by the end of December, they will have schematic design. The dollars that were going to go to that, have been moved over to the Welding project, so we don't lose those ARPA funds."

The move is being made following the college’s recent adoption of a new budget which left the college’s total tax rate, unchanged. A transfer of funds to the welding center at Lincoln totals about $4.2 million. The ARPA funding must be used by 2026. College President Dr. Paul Illich says the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education has looked favorably on moving that money to the welding project.

A new residential hall on the Lincoln Campus is temporarily on hold for full occupancy, because an elevator for the building is back-ordered.

Next month, the SCC Board will be asked to approve a resolution to issue certificates of participation on the welding project. The issue would total about $30 million….about half the size of a prior issue. The Lincoln welding project of 98,000 square feet located on the north side of the Lincoln Campus, is projected to cost some $34 million. Hausmann Construction would be the construction manager on the project. So far, earthwork and installation of footings for the facility have taken place.

The two certificates of participation issues make up about point-69 cents of SCC’s two-cent capital construction levy….which community colleges retained following approval by state lawmakers of a new funding system. This coming year, community colleges lose their ability to levy property taxes for general operations under new law, with state funding intended to replace that.

At a college board meeting on the Lincoln Campus Tuesday…Illich says preliminary figures show Southeast enrollment has increased.  "Just under four percent as an institution...10.9 percent for Milford...5.2 percent for Beatrice and 2.2 percent for Lincoln. So, every campus is up. We have the second largest enrollment since 2019 when we launched the conversion from the quarter to semester calendar....just under 9,700 students for this fall term."

Boellstorf says 96 entities have donated to a Nebraska Hall renovation at the Milford Campus…with 58 being new donors to SCC. That fundraising effort was led by Milford Campus Director, Ed Koster.