Colby Community College will host a groundbreaking ceremony at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 21, to begin construction on a new agriculture building adjacent to the Stanley Carr Agricultural Center.

The schools says the need for the 12,400-square-foot facility stems from limited space to accommodate increasing enrollment in the current area. The new building includes the main level on a basement with six classrooms, the largest of which can seat 53 students. Offices for 16 full-time ag employees and a 28-person meeting room are also planned. Details on the building are at www.colbycc.edu/ag-future.

Over the last two years, CCC has prioritized expanding agricultural-related offerings and opportunities that serve the region through developing additional certificates and tracks, enhancing remote student learning, and hiring additional ag faculty. Nearly 9,000 feet of fence was installed at the college farm in addition to hauling in several thousand square feet of dirt to resolve longstanding drainage problems. In January 2022, the college received a Department of Education Rural Postsecondary Economic Development grant for more than $1.23 million that will be used to strengthen higher education credentials among rural students.

“We are so excited to see this project come to fruition,” said CCC President Dr. Seth Carter. “This facility will provide decades of impact for Colby Community College students, northwest Kansas, and the state of Kansas as a whole.”

To date, the college has secured grants and donations totaling about $2.4 million of the $3.5 million necessary for the project. CCC intends to raise the remaining funds but can tap into institutional reserve money to meet the goal. No debt or bond obligation will be transferred to taxpayers.

Tax credits are available for interested donors. For more information, contact President Carter at (785) 460-5400 or Endowment Foundation Institutional Advancement Director Jennifer Schoenfeld at (785) 460-5483.