WILLOW LAKE, S.D.(KXLG)- The Willow Lake School District is one of four in South Dakota to be awarded a Workforce Education Grant. The four grants total $840,051.39. The Workforce Education Grant program is designed to make transformative changes for career and technical education programs offered in middle and high schools throughout the state.

The Willow Lake School District received $210,051.39 to purchase industry-grade equipment for a newly constructed career and technical education addition.

Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Education Joseph Graves said, ” High-quality CTE programs give students the knowledge, skills, and experiences to be prepared for postsecondary education and the workforce. Partnerships among secondary education, postsecondary education, and business and industry lay the foundation for modern CTE programs.”

Other grants were awarded to the Custer, Hot Springs, and Huron school districts.

A portion of these grants are funded with federal dollars available to the Department of Education through the American Rescue Plan.