The South Dakota Board of Regents will request a 3.06% increase to its base funding, and more than $28 million in one-time funding, to Gov. Kristi Noem ahead of her December budget address for fiscal year 2026.

Regents voted on the budget sheet Thursday afternoon after hearing budget requests in the morning from the leaders of each of the six universities it oversees.

The request for a 3.06% increase in base funding includes:

• $3,196,736 in academic building insurance for the SDBOR system,

• $2.75 million in cybersecurity technology funding,

• $300,000 to start an emergency medicine residency at the University of South Dakota’s Sanford School of Medicine, and

• $3.5 million for a systemwide tuition inflationary buy-down.

More: SD Regents approve tuition freeze, new programs, policy changes

The $28 million in one-time funding requests include $5.3 million for “classroom innovation” across the system, $14,725,500 in student security upgrades, and $8,319,000 in lab equipment and upgrades.

Regent vice president Jeff Partridge said there would be no capital project requests for fiscal year 2026 from the SDBOR.

“We think there will be alternative ideas in Pierre as opposed to capital project requests, and that the Governor will not do that based on some of the things that they’ve told us already,” Partridge said.

Here’s what each campus asked for, and what the Regents chose out of those budget proposals.

South Dakota State University

SDSU’s top priorities Thursday morning included moving towards an R1 research university designation, remodeling Yeager Hall, renovating Hilton M. Briggs Library and establishing a transient animal facility, President Barry Dunn said.

More: How South Dakota State University is seeking to move up in research classification

Remodeling Yeager Hall for a one-time funding request of $14 million would house all of SDSU’s School of Communication & Journalism under one roof, instead of having the program in three different areas of campus as it currently does.

Renovating Briggs Library for a one-time funding request of $30 million would turn the space into a 21st-Century learning and research center, invest in student success, align with the campus master plan and make major updates necessary to meet ADA requirements, Dunn explained.

Dunn requested $1 million in one-time funding for SDSU to establish a transient animal facility with partially open monoslope bays and fully enclosed bays, as previous buildings used for this function were destroyed in the 2022 derecho storm, he said. Dunn noted $524,337 in insurance proceeds from the derecho would go toward the project in addition to the $1 million requested.

None of SDSU’s requests were outlined in the final SDBOR budget request document Regents approved on Thursday afternoon.

University of South Dakota

USD President Sheila Gestring requested one-time facilities preservation funding support of $12.9 million for Dakota Hall and $10.9 million for East Hall.

Dakota Hall was built in 1917 and houses offices and classrooms for political science, English, communication studies, modern languages and linguistics. East Hall was built in 1887 and houses offices and classrooms for history, anthropology and sociology, as well as the archeology lab, student counseling and Charlie’s Career Closet.

More: How SDSU, USD, DSU are establishing educational footprints, partnerships in Sioux Falls

Both need renovations, including dire issues of plumbing, HVAC, electrical systems, ADA accessibility, flooring, ceilings, LED lighting, paint, and fire protection system needs, Gestring said, and requested these facilities be preserved before the buildings become beyond repair.

Regents didn’t go for the facilities preservation, but OKed a new emergency medicine clinical department in the Sanford School of Medicine for $300,000 in base funding to address a high demand in the state for physicians who are specially trained to administer emergency care.

Dakota State University

DSU President José-Marie Griffiths asked for an estimated $4 million-$6 million renovation to the Karl Mundt Library on campus, as well as $100,000 for a biomechanics lab within the Athletics Event Center, $653,513 in equipment for that lab, and $346,000 in equipment for the science lab.

Lab equipment and upgrades are in the Regents’ budget request document, but not the library renovation project.

Northern State University

NSU President Neal Schnoor and vice president for finance Veronica Paulson requested $2 million in maintenance and repair, $1.6 million to renovate the facilities building, $300,000 to improve internal campus pathways and $100,000 for a State Street entrance.

It’s unclear which of these projects are included in the Regents’ vague budget request document with one-time funding requests for “classroom innovation, student security upgrades, lab equipment and upgrades,” as SDBOR communications director Shuree Mortenson didn’t respond to an Argus Leader question on what was included by the time of publication.

Black Hills State University

BHSU President Steve Elliott requested $20,956,536 to renovate the Jonas Academic building, which houses 20 classrooms, four labs, 46 faculty offices, the Center for American Indian Studies, student newspaper and more.

The Jonas building needs infrastructure upgrades including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, restroom renovations, caulking, elevators, a new roof, ceilings and doors, and some safety and security features, as well as academic space updates to faculty offices, student study spaces and the new Center for Civic Engagement.

More: SDBOR wants a new civics literacy curriculum or course for graduation requirement

Elliott also requested $14.75 million to acquire and renovate South Dakota Army National Guard property on campus. SDANG owns two equipment storage buildings on the northwest corner of the Spearfish campus, and a 7,200 square-foot armory on the north side of the Young Center.

He proposed the city of Spearfish could identify land for the SDANG to relocate, and then BHSU would purchase equipment storage facilities from SDANG for $3 million, renovate and relocate facilities services there for $5.75 million, renovate facilities for the art department there for $3 million, and renovate the Young Center Armory for $3 million to create an Athlete Student Success Center.

The Regents’ vague budget request document didn’t include anything about the SDANG budget proposal, but did include one-time funding requests for “classroom innovation, student security upgrades, lab equipment and upgrades,” which could relate to some of the needed changes in the Jonas building.

South Dakota Mines

Mines’ interim president Lance Roberts requested $1,605,000 in lab equipment and classroom upgrades, and “lab equipment and upgrades” are part of the Regents’ budget document.

Roberts’ request included an NMR spectrometer, fluorescence microscope, confocal microscope, nanoparticle tracking system, ultra-high-speed centrifuge, robotics lab equipment, Digilent Analog Studio, Vector Network Analyzer and more.

System

Heather Forney, SDBOR system vice president of finance and administration, made some budget requests that the Regents didn’t vote to include in their budget request document.

The Regents OKed the tuition buy-down, building insurance, cybersecurity base funding and technology one-time funding Forney asked for, among other items, but they didn’t OK her request of more than $4 million and 18 staff for wraparound services for students.

Forney’s budget request document states that with the introduction of direct admissions, “there is a genuine possibility of higher enrollment among students who are less prepared for higher education,” and she suggests expanded tutoring, remediation education, testing center support, academic advising, mental health counseling and disability services could support those students.

Regents also approved two new programs on Thursday, including a bachelor’s degree in accounting at SDSU and a master’s degree in artificial intelligence at USD, which will both be offered this fall.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Regents OK budget requests for 2025 legislative session, FY26 spending