EudoraNews.com

With the state of Kansas facing a $140 million budget shortfall this year and possibly a $1 billion shortfall in the next fiscal year, upgrades to educational programs aren’t easy to come by.

That makes the two new welders given to the auto collision program at the Eudora-De Soto Technical Education Center all the more valuable.

“In the education field, getting anything is great,” auto collision instructor Heath Daniel said. “Especially with the economy and cutbacks in education funding now, this is something that we probably would’ve had to take about three to five years to save up for.”

The welders were a posthumous gift to the program from Pat Istas, a friend of auto collision instructor Kim Horton.

The students were appreciative of the fact that someone from the community cared enough to give them such a gift.

“It means a lot because it’s our education,” Lewis said. “I haven’t been able to use them yet, but I guarantee this will make everything around the shop a lot more efficient.”

The equipment has a value of about $2,700, and Daniel said it would allow the students to do some things that weren’t previously possible.

“I look forward to getting to used this and it will help us with some different projects we do during the year,” junior Daniel Russell said.

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