JWCC taps Maas Construction for Workforce Development building project

JWCC Trustees also approve balanced budget for new fiscal year

QUINCY — John Wood Community College Board of Trustees accepted a $6.65 million bid from Maas Construction for the Workforce Development Expansion (WDC) project and approved a $16.4 million balanced budget for the next fiscal year during its meeting Wednesday night.

The building project is being funded with a 50 percent match from a federal economic development grant, which the college was awarded in June 2021. Klingner & Associates/BLDD is the contracted firm. The groundbreaking ceremony will be later this summer with construction to follow and the project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2023. 

The expansion will add 14,170-square-feet to the facility located at 4220 Kochs Lane, including a new Truck Driver Training addition, expansion of the east side with a new physical building entrance, expanded space for HVAC, and business and industry training. A remodel of the current interior of the building will include expanded space for welding, industrial maintenance and manufacturing, robotics and automation, and flexible use-space for new programs such as a virtual reality lab.

A new vehicle road entrance off 42nd Street will be added, leading to a larger parking area.

“We are excited to move forward with this important project,” said JWCC President Michael Elbe. “With strategic focus and long-term planning, the College is set to offer excellent opportunities to provide programs and training facilities to support the workforce needs of the area. The WDC expansion project and the new JWCC Agricultural Sciences Complex (near Baylis with the official ribbon cutting ceremony on August 9) demonstrates John Wood’s continued commitment to the District and Tri-State region.”

The Board approved a $16.4 budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year and has an increase of $213,406 than the previous year. Tuition and fees account for 42.7 percent of JWCC’s total budgeted revenue, corporate and personal property taxes make up 38.9 percent, state funding 13.8 percent and 4.5 percent is from grants, facilities rentals and other sources.

“Our objective is always to be good stewards and fiscally responsible of the district’s tax dollars by using a conservative fiscal approach,” Elbe said. JWCC’s average full-time, in-district tuition cost including fees is $5,440 for next year.

Tracy Orne, JWCC Dean of Enrollment Management and Student Services, presented a report to the board on student recruiting initiatives for the upcoming school year.

Orne said the College is investing more dollars in larger strategic recruitment initiatives and, for the upcoming year, there are more than a dozen enrollment initiatives, with many scholarships to attract students and adults into career and trade programs plus efforts to boost enrollment in JWCC health sciences and ag programs.

Registration is open now for the fall semester with classes starting August 22.

In other business, the Board:

Accepted $4,000 in grant funds from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation for Adult Education / GED Testing Fees.

Accepted $105,906.50 in grant funds from the Workforce Innovation Board of Western Illinois for Class-Sized Training Program.

Authorized submission of a $274,439 grant application to the Illinois Community College Board for Adult Education and Literacy.

Authorized submission of $127,773 in grant applications to the Illinois Green Economy Network for multiple IGEN projects.

Authorized submission of a $55,680 grant application to the Illinois Department on Aging for the Illinois Department on Aging Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP).

Adopted the FY2023 Strategic Master Plan.

Approved payment of $4,250 for the first installment of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association dues.

Approved the appointment to Josh Welker, JWCC dean of business services and institutional effectiveness as treasurer and JWCC director of fiscal services, John Reinhardt as assistant treasurer for the College.

Accepted a $102,400 bid from Million Construction Company for courtyard concrete improvements.