PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA -- Governor Ducey released his FY 2020 budget earlier this month and it included $20 million for Pima Community College's Aviation Technology Center. Chancellor Lambert and Pima are meeting the needs of industry right here in our community! See the full feature by KGUN 9 below.
It's been talked about for years within the hallways and hangars of Pima Community College's Aviation Technology Center.
Director of Aviation Technology, Jason Bowersock, says within a few months, their program could receive $20 million from the state.
"The requested funds was for a 100 percent increase in capacity so we have the facility itself, we have all of the equipment that goes along with that and also funding to fund personnel through the first year of the facility being open."
Bowersock says the entire campus would be doubled in size and a duplicate facility would be installed next to the existing one.
However, there still are steps to be completed.
Pima Community College says, Governor Ducey proposed this funding as a one-time special-use allocation in his proposed state budget, which has to be approved by the legislature and then incorporated into the budget.
"They see how successful this program is currently, they see the opportunity for growth, students that are trying to get into our program and waiting over a year at this point to get into the program."
PCC says the expect to hear a final decision no later than the end of May. If approved, they say the aviation technology center's student population will grow to serve about 250 students.
See KGUN here: https://azgovernor.gov/governor/video/kgun-9-pima-community-college-awaiting-possible-20-million-school-program