Area residents will be able to vote April 7 on Northeast Wisconsin Technical College’s proposed expansion.
The NWTC board on Monday voted in favor of placing the issue before the voters.
“We’re at capacity,” said H. Jeffrey Rafn, NWTC president. “We need to make changes to support industries that need more trained workers and Wisconsin residents who need more economic opportunities.”
NWTC is requesting $66.5 million for improving its campuses in Green Bay, Sturgeon Bay and Marinette. The increased space — 160,000 square feet of new space and 240,000 square feet of renovated space — will increase capacity by an additional 1,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) students.
The referendum will increase the tax levy by $7.50 per year for a $150,000 house for 15 years.
The proposed expansions and upgrades focus on relieving critical workforce shortages in trades and engineering, but it also would include expansions in business, IT, public safety and rural health education.
Board members said the expansion will help NWTC support the region with 900 more skilled workers per year in technologically advanced jobs.
The college’s most recent referendum, in 2001, enabled NWTC to accommodate 5,000 FTE students. The college is currently serving more than 7,000 students.
Community College Week, a national education publication, recently analyzed U.S. Department of Education data and listed NWTC as the 14th fastest-growing large two-year college in the United States.