SCSD#2 Board Work Session Focused on Fifth Street Property

The SCSD#2 board of trustees held a work session on Tuesday, Jan. 17 to discuss the Fifth Street Career Development Center proposal. Superintendent Scott Stults approached the board about how the school is working with the city to help fund the project. Stults attended the Sheridan City Council meeting on Monday night and had this report.

He said the property, which includes the old Holly Sugar Greenhouses, contains around 7.7 acres, which was gifted to the school from the Scott Foundation, and an additional three acres were purchased from First Federal.

Plans for the property include a career development center, where students could receive hands-on training for various careers. He added that currently the high school needs more space for the programs. “Our students in the culinary class are using the school kitchen,” Stults said.

The SLIB grant funds will be 7.5 million, which will be about half of what they need for the project. The school will pursue other funding, such as private donors or work with other entities, for balance needed. Stults added that Shawn Parker, Director of Sheridan County Travel and Tourism, felt that Sheridan needed a larger convention center, and that could be another avenue for increased funding for the project down the road.

Stults, Don Julian and Mitch Craft presented the proposal to the city council last month, and at their Jan. 16 meeting the council approved the proposal.

Stults explained how it would work, since the city has to apply for the grant.

Discussion centered around what happens if the grant does not go through, would the city transfer the land back to the school. Stults assured the board that the land would revert back to the school in after a certain period of time.

Trustee Arin Waddell asked him to clarify other entities that have went through the city to obtain these grants, Stults said the WYO and The Hub had both been helped by working with the city of Sheridan in this way.

As the greenhouses are still in good shape, the school would use them as they are.

Trustee Wayne Schatz asked if the college was going to be a part of this career development center and Stults said they are working closely with the college on this project, and there would be a sharing of the buildings with the college.