South Central College classroom and lab space improvements and boiler replacement funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Keith Allen and 1 co-sponsor

Funds $9,160,000 in bonds to design, renovate, and equip SCC North Mankato classrooms/labs for the dental assisting program and replace the campus boiler.

Author added Allen

#appropriations #bonds #education-higher

Purpose and intent

HF 4771 proposes to finance improvements to South Central College (SCC), specifically at the North Mankato campus. The bill would:
- Allocate funds for designing, constructing, renovating, and equipping classroom and laboratory spaces for the dental assisting program.
- Replace the boiler system on the North Mankato campus.
- Authorize the sale of state bonds to fund these projects.

Key provisions and changes

Appropriation of bond proceeds:

Amount: $9,160,000.
Source: Bond proceeds fund.
Authorized use: Design, construction, renovation, and equipping of classroom and lab spaces for the dental assisting program at SCC’s North Mankato campus; boiler replacement for the same campus.

Bond sale authorization:

The Commissioner of Management and Budget would issue state bonds up to $9,160,000 to finance the appropriation, under Minnesota statutes governing debt issuance (Minnesota Statutes, sections 16A.631 to 16A.675) and the Minnesota Constitution (Article XI, sections 4 to 7).

Effective date:

The act would become effective the day after final enactment.

Who is affected

South Central College – North Mankato campus:

Direct beneficiary of improved classroom and lab facilities for the dental assisting program.
Boiler system replacement to support campus infrastructure and reliability.

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system (Board of Trustees):

Responsible for planning, designing, constructing, and equipping the projects funded by the bond proceeds.

State finances and bond market:

The state would undertake bond issuance to raise the $9.16 million, impacting the state’s debt management and long-term liability.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduction and referral:

Introduced in March 2026 and referred to the Capital Investment committee.

Legislative action timeline:

Current status shows ongoing consideration; the bill would need passage by both houses and approval by the governor to become law.

Implementation timing (upon enactment):

Once enacted, the bond sale would occur under the established process for state debt issuance, and project work would proceed per approved design and construction timelines.

Notable details

The bill is specific to the North Mankato campus of South Central College and the dental assisting program, indicating a targeted capital investment rather than a broader system-wide appropriation.

The funding mechanism relies on issuing state bonds, implying future debt service obligations funded by the state.

This summary captures the bill’s core objective (capital investment in SCC facilities and boiler replacement), the financial mechanism (bond proceeds of $9.16 million), the affected institutions, and the key procedural steps and timing.

Bill