The president of Western Dakota Technical Institute has mixed feelings about the action Gov. Mike Rounds took Friday on four bills concerning technical institutes in South Dakota.

Rounds vetoed a bill that would create a new formula for the distribution of state funds to technical institutes. But he signed three others that will benefit the schools, including one that will increase bonding capacities and two that will procure funding for technical schools.

"We're appreciative that he signed the two funding bills," Rich Gross said. "Those two were absolutely critical for us for next year."

HB1226 will provide $2 million to help raise salaries, fund operations and enhance programs at WDTI and technical schools in Watertown, Sioux Falls and Mitchell.

The other bill, HB1227, will provide $1 million in support of maintenance and repair of buildings at the schools.

The signing of the bonding cap bill, HB1218, will increase the school's bonding cap from $38 million to $80 million. This increase in the amount the school can borrow from taxpayers will allow the school to improve its facilities, Gross said.

"That was important for us because it allows us to move forward over the next five years with our long-term facility plan," he said.

Gross said he is "disappointed" that HB1016, which would have created the school funding formula, was vetoed. That bill would have provided a "sustainable ongoing method" for financing technical institutes, according to Gross.

Rounds said he vetoed that bill because it wouldn't provide legislation for funding the schools in the next budget year. Also, he said the bill would have eliminated sources of funding for maintenance and repairs and programs at some of the state's technical schools.

Gross said he understands Rounds had "technical concerns" with that bill. But he hopes the governor will be willing to work with the school on a funding formula.

Gross told the Journal earlier this week that a Rounds veto on the funding bills could have meant a tuition increase for WDTI students.

He said an increase is still possible, but the passage of the bills will help defray it.

"If there is an increase in tuition, it will not be as significant as it would have been without those two bills," he said.

Gross said he expects to have tuition figures for next year by Monday or Tuesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Ryan Woodard at 394-8412 or ryan.woodard@rapidcityjournal.com.