by the Mitchell Daily Republic, February 25, 2020
Gov. Kristi Noem signed legislation Tuesday, February 25, to change the names of the four technical schools in South Dakota from technical institutes to colleges.
The legislation means Mitchell Technical Institute will change its name to Mitchell Technical College on July 1. Noem signed the legislation on Tuesday in a ceremony that included Mitchell School District Superintendent Joe Graves and MTI Vice President for Advancement Julie Brookbank in attendance.
“South Dakota’s technical programs produce top-quality graduates for South Dakota’s workforce and help ensure our businesses have the leaders they need to thrive,” Noem said. “The bill I am signing today helps align South Dakota’s colleges with the naming standards used across the country and reflects the excellence demonstrated by our schools.”
House Bill 1083, which was sponsored by Rep. Hugh Bartels, R-Watertown, and Sen. Jim White, R-Huron, was approved by the House by a 41-25 margin and through the Senate by a 27-7 margin on Feb. 18. Advocates for the bill said that changing the name would help market the schools and better align with other schools around the country. The South Dakota Board of Technical Education, which oversees the four schools, was among the groups supporting the change.
Other South Dakota institutions to be affected include Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls, Western Dakota Technical Institute in Rapid City and Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown.
