(The Center Square) – Cities near Ellsworth Air Force Base expect to see an economic boom as the United States Air Force is bedding down its B-21 stealth bomber near Ellsworth Air Force Base in western South Dakota.
The Air Force announced in 2021 that the bomber would be housed at the base.
The economic impact is projected at $886 million, and 8,200 jobs could be created, according to an impact statement released by Ellsworth AFB in 2023.
The project is expected to take several years, but one nearby city is already experiencing an increase in population.
“Box Elder’s population grew by 50.5% from 2010 to 2020 and is expected to continue this growth now and into the future,” city officials said in a presentation to members of the Select Committee on Legislative Relationships with Ellsworth Air Force Base. “To support our current and future population, as well as secure one of the largest economic powerhouses in SD – Ellsworth AFB – Box Elder needs to continue to develop its infrastructure.”
The focus should be on the quality of life of the incoming military members and their families, according to Tom Johnson, CEO of Elevate Rapid City, where part of the base is located. That means housing, education and economic benefits, he said.
“But beyond the financials, we must consider what we can do legislatively to support this growth,” said Michael Walsh, R-Rapid City, the committee’s co-chair. “In the same way the banking industry based primarily in East River and Sioux Falls transformed the economy of South Dakota, this opportunity has the potential to do the same thing on the western side of the state.”
The committee is tasked with discussing what lawmakers need to consider in 2025 to support the infrastructure in the region. The influx of military families will result in an estimated 1,500 additional students over the next 15 years in the Douglas School District, according to a presentation to the committee based on numbers from the Air Force. About 70% of children from the military base attend school in the district, the presentation said. The current enrollment is 2,727, with 1,021 students connected to the military, Superintendent Kevin Case told the committee.
The district is considering a 35-year-old funding model to help with growth that would require $15 million in state dollars. The federal government would contribute $40 to $42 million, with the school district providing five to seven million, according to the presentation. The model was used in 1989 to fund a middle school for the district, according to information presented by Case.
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds attended the meeting. He announced $282 million in federal funding in June for Ellsworth as it prepares to bed down the B-21 bomber. The money is part of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2025 under consideration by Congress, he said.
