Referendum Success
The Board of Canvassers reconvened this week, Nov. 16, and formally confirmed that Moraine Park Technical College’s 2022 referendum passed with 57.4% favored votes. The College was favorable in all ten district counties with 78,549 ‘yes’ votes out of 136,864 votes total–a landslide according to Greg Stensland, Radio Plus news director.
“When I am asked why I think we had such a high favorability, I share a couple things,” President Baerwald said. “The first is that we have a strong message. Our purpose is all about training the workforce of the future, and when you tell constituents we are going to have 14,000 manufacturing job openings and 8,000 healthcare jobs openings in the next 10 years, I think people reflect and realize Moraine Park needs the resourcing.”
The College held a campus celebration to commemorate the official passing of the referendum. President Baerwald spoke about the future of the institution and what people can expect moving forward with the projects.
“Moraine Park has touched so many people over our 110 years of history that there is hardly anybody in this community that has not either experienced Moraine Park personally or knows someone in their circle that is connected to the College,” President Baerwald said. “People are recognizing us, people are congratulating us, and I do not think we are the best-kept secret any longer.”
Moving Forward
Advanced Manufacturing and Trades, Fond du Lac
In spring 2023, the Advanced Manufacturing and Trades center will be the College’s first visible sign of construction in Fond du Lac. This project is expected to break ground in May 2023 and will be completed in two phases–the Automation, Innovation, and Robotics Center (AIR) and the campus B wing—with expected completion in the summer of 2024. Classes beginning in the fall 2024 semester will be the first to use this new section of campus.
Fire Training Facility
Design meetings on the fire training facility will begin towards the end of 2022. The location of the fire training facility is still being determined. Groundbreaking will occur in July 2023, and the project should be completed by the end of the year. Instruction is expected to begin in the Fire Training Facility in the spring 2024 semester.
Manufacturing, Automation and Robotics Lab, West Bend
Design for the Manufacturing, Automation and Robotics Lab in West Bend will kick off in early 2023 with construction starting later in the year. This is slated to be a year-long project, which means the new instructional spaces will be ready for use in the fall 2024 semester.
Health and Human Services Facility, Fond du Lac
The Health and Human Services Facility project will begin in July 2024 and will be completed in two phases. This project will be finished during the summer of 2025, which means the instruction will begin in the new health and human services wing in the fall 2025 semester.
More information about the projects can be found at morainepark.edu/future.
