Northern Hills high schools awarded CTE grant funds

By amanda WolTersTorff

Black Hills Pioneer

BELLE FOURCHE — Belle

Fourche High School and Sturgis Brown High School were two out of 17 South Dakota recipients of the Innovative Equipment Grants, with Sturgis receiving $174,442 and Belle Fourche receiving $250,000 of the total $3 million allocated.

Belle Fourche High School plans to use its grant to purchase two truck simulators and one real vehicle, giving students the opportunity to get a commercial driver’s license (CDL).

“Our first goal (when writing this grant) was to be the first school in the state of South Dakota to offer a CDL course. We will actually be the second in the nation to offer a CDL for secondary education,” said Tony Musilek, the Belle Fourche career and technical educator who will teach the course, beginning in the fall. “We also wanted to offer night classes for adults in our community to get their CDL. It was also important for us to expand our CTE program to meet the needs of our industry partners and satisfy the needs of our workforce.”

There is a nationwide need of CDL drivers.

This course will be taught to students who are already 18 or will turn 18 within the semester that they take the course, per CDL test requirements.

“We will be offering this course as a dual credit. The course is called CDL written preparation, which is taught at Lake Area Technical Institute,” said Jim Hartwell, a career and technical educator at Belle Fourche High School. “Students will save up to $5,700. Our students get to take the course for free, which is included in the grant.”

The course will utilize two simulators, which will find their home next to the school’s current five equipment simulators.

“While students are getting ready to take their learner’s permit, they