The State Senate Education Committee passed a bill that proponents say improves the college experience in South Dakota. In part, the bill aims to make college affordable and to improve development capacity. It also sets up a council to oversee the effort. Jack Warner, the Executive Director of the Board of Regents is backing the bill.
"Our major goals are to improve student success, produce more graduates and the important context for that is that the state needs more highly educated workers, needs more workers and needs more highly educated workers at the same time," says Warner.
Technical schools are not included in the current piece of legislation. The bill passed out of committee unanimously. It goes next to the house floor.