Nine South Dakota school districts– four of which are in the central part of the state– are the 2026 recipients of South Dakota Perkins Reserve Grants.
According to the state Department of Education, each school district will use the funds to provide major equipment upgrades for Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. The equipment enhancements will improve the ability of each school’s CTE programs to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences to prepare them for post-secondary education and the workforce.
Central South Dakota schools named 2026 Perkins Reserve Grant recipients are:
- McLaughlin School District— awarded $11,997 to purchase equipment to offer a new culinary arts program;
- Timber Lake School District— awarded $42,400 for the expansion of agriculture course offerings to strengthen industry alignment;
- Wakpala School District— awarded $40,145 to purchase a skid steer simulator to enhance the agriculture and construction program; and
- Wolsey-Wessington School District— awarded $26,201 to purchase industry-aligned equipment to enhance the agriculture and construction program.
Secretary of Education Dr. Joseph Graves said CTE programs are constantly evolving to match the pace of workforce needs. He said the South Dakota Perkins Reserve Grant helps schools in equipping students with current technologies, resources, and tools, offering students a realistic, hands-on learning experience that will strengthen their marketability to colleges or employers once they leave the K-12 education system.
Other school districts getting 2026 South Dakota Perkins Reserve Grants are:
- Aberdeen School District– awarded $30,233 for new precision machine equipment for the manufacturing program;
- De Smet School District– awarded $15,898 for modernizing metal fabrication within agriculture programs;
- Lake Preston School District– awarded $43,160 for expansion of program offers in multiple career clusters to strengthen industrial alignment;
- Menno School District– awarded $32,844 to purchase small engines and attend professional development opportunities to enhance the agricultural mechanics program; and
- Mitchell School District– awarded $38,663 for the modernization of the automotive technology lab.
To learn more about the South Dakota Perkins Reserve Grant, visit doe.sd.gov/cte/perkins.aspx.
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