Burgum signs first bill of 2023 legislative session, providing $68M line of credit for career academies to help address workforce needs

BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Doug Burgum today signed his first bill of the 2023 legislative session, providing a $68 million line of credit to help finance the construction of 13 planned career academies across the state where students can pursue high-demand careers in the trades, health care, technology and other sectors to help meet workforce needs. In his State of the State address on Jan. 3, Burgum called for this to be one of the first bills to reach his desk this session, and he expressed his gratitude for the decisive action by the 68th Legislative Assembly that ensures career academy construction can begin this spring.

During a special session of the Legislature in November 2021, lawmakers approved $88 million for career academies, including $20 million in state funds that have already been distributed and $68 million from the U.S. Treasury’s Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund. The State Board for Career and Technical Education awarded the $68 million to 13 career academy projects, which require a local dollar-for-dollar match, and several communities have already raised their matching funds. However, Treasury has yet to release the federal dollars, due to debate over funding criteria.

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