Lake-Sumter State College will enter the 2023-2024 academic year with the largest budget in its history, which will allow the Leesburg-based school to create new and expand existing programs in high-demand fields, open new teaching locations and address a growing list of deferred maintenance projects.
In June, the District Board of Trustees approved a $64.4 million budget, including $37.7 million in operating expenses and $18.6 million for capital projects. Much of the planned spending was made possible by historic state investments in the state college system.
“We are thankful to the Florida Legislature, particularly our local delegation, and Gov. DeSantis for their continued support of the mission of Lake-Sumter State College and the Florida College System,” said Dr. Heather Bigard, President of Lake-Sumter State College. “I’m proud of the College’s fiscally conservative budget planning that now positions us to make investments of strategic priorities to maximize access to post-secondary credentials across Lake and Sumter counties.”
Thanks to a new funding model for the Florida College System (FCS) developed collaboratively with the Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, the Florida Department of Education, and FCS presidents, the entire system saw an increase of $100 million across the 28-state college system in this year’s state budget. This investment supports state colleges throughout the system that are working to meet high-demand workforce growth across their service areas.
In the coming year, LSSC will create new and expand existing programs in high-demand career fields including allied health and nursing, commercial driver training (CDL), construction management, electric utility lineworkers, information technology, teacher education, and wastewater treatment. The budget also includes the addition of a new teaching location in Four Corners and a CDL & Lineworker training facility in North Eustis.
The upcoming year will see LSSC address a growing list of deferred maintenance projects, including HVAC system replacements, repaving, roof replacements, and life safety improvements. These upgrades will allow LSSC to be more efficient and cost-effective, ultimately decreasing utility costs and environmental impacts.
LSSC is also proud to receive $17.5 million from the State of Florida for the establishment of a state-of-the-art Workforce Development Center on the Leesburg Campus. The 50,000-square-foot facility is designed to meet the evolving needs of the local workforce and will provide LSSC students with access to modern classrooms and spaces that facilitate immersive, hands-on experiences in both new and existing programs.
The new budget also invests resources back into LSSC employees by providing competitive salary increases and increased investments in professional development and training opportunities.
“I look forward to continued collaboration with our employees and members of our community as we work toward our strategic priorities in higher education access, workforce development, student learning & success, and learning & work environments,” Bigard said. “I am confident that we will have a lot to celebrate when we look back on this academic year.”
