Farmington Schools Land $1.1 Million Grant for New Skilled Trades Lab

Farmington Municipal Schools secured a NextGen Expansion Grant worth more than $1.1 million to fully equip a new Construction Skilled Trades Lab, the district announced last Thursday, anchoring a project designed to put graduates directly into the trades workforce.

The grant will fund Caterpillar simulators and industrial power tools covering plumbing, HVAC and electrical trades. It also covers mobile assets, including trailers and vehicles, to carry students off-site for hands-on training, extending the curriculum beyond the building and onto actual job sites.

The lab will be housed at the district's CATE Center. Architectural design is already underway, with the facility expected to open in fall 2027. Construction costs will come from bond funds, while an additional $600,000 for design is expected through HB450 safety and technology state funds, meaning the $1.1 million grant targets equipment and training resources rather than the structure itself.

The district serves more than 11,100 students and has framed the investment as a direct response to workforce demand across the Four Corners economy, where construction and skilled trades employers have long sought credentialed local hires. By stocking the CATE Center with commercial-grade machinery that mirrors actual job conditions, administrators said the goal is for graduates to earn industry credentials and be ready to work from day one.

With architectural design now in progress, construction procurement and program staffing are the next milestones before the fall 2027 launch. The funding structure, pairing the NextGen grant with bond proceeds and HB450 state dollars, gives the project a relatively stable financial base as it moves from blueprints to a working classroom.

When the lab opens, it will represent one of the most tangible expansions of career technical education the district has undertaken, giving students access to the same category of equipment they will operate professionally in the construction trades.