New community college study eyed
This article was originally written by Kevin Flowers and published on GoErie.com on December 6, 2016.
It was one of the most contentious local political issues in recent memory.
The push to establish a traditional community college in the region came to a head in 2010, when Erie County Council, the Erie School Board and the Corry School Board all rejected sponsorship of the school.
All three entities cited cost concerns at a time when much of the public opposed the plan.
While community college supporters argued that such a school would help Erie build a skilled workforce and provide a more affordable educational option for many local residents than the region's four-year colleges and for-profit trade schools, opponents saw the school as unnecessary when local colleges and trade schools provide similar curricula.
Six years later, though, an infusion of cash — and a political climate shift within Erie County government — has resuscitated the community college discussion.
County Council on Dec. 13 is expected to sign off on allocating $60,000 toward a feasibility study for a community college in the Erie area.
The nonprofit Empower Erie, led by Erie lawyer Ron DiNicola, will use the money to hire a consulting firm familiar with the framework of community colleges to conduct the study. That analysis is expected to examine possible locations for the school; staffing requirements; community needs; accreditation; funding sources, and other factors.
County government's contribution would supplement $300,000 given by the Erie Community Foundation, the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority and the Susan Hirt Hagen Fund for Transformational Philanthropy.
If County Council eventually votes in favor of creating the college, as well as county sponsorship of the school, the Hagen Fund, foundation and ECGRA have promised an additional $3.7 million in support.
Community college students often include men and women who did not go on to college immediately after high school; displaced workers looking to be retrained for a new occupation; and college-educated adults who want to further their education to help advance their careers.
DiNicola said that there remains "compelling" evidence in favor of establishing a community college.
He noted that none of the state's 14 community colleges is located near Erie; the region continues to see high poverty rates; the area is still suffering from the loss of manufacturing jobs at places like GE Transportation; and access to affordable postsecondary education remains an issue for many students with limited financial means.
According to a recent report by Research for Action, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit education research organization, Pennsylvania has the lowest rate of community colleges per capita in the U.S. Further, Erie County is one of the largest areas in the state without direct access to a community college, DiNicola said.
"We feel we need to move with great speed," DiNicola said, adding that both the community college study and a strategic plan for launching the school could be completed by the end of June. "It's a rather elaborate research project."
Political support
Unlike 2010, there appears to be majority support on County Council for launching a community college.
Four of the panel's seven members — Chairman Andre Horton, Councilwoman Kathy Fatica and Councilmen Jay Breneman and Fiore Leone — have told the Erie Times-News they plan to support the community college study on Dec. 13.
All support the notion of establishing a new school as well.
"I admire all the work all of those (colleges and trade schools) have done to provide affordable, accessible, quality education," said Horton, a strong supporter of the Empower Erie effort. "But I do believe there's still room in that space for a community college. I believe there is a vast amount of need not being met, particularly in the urban core, in terms of meeting employers' needs and preparing people for the workforce.
"The county has the political will, I believe, to see it through this time," Horton said. "And I think this study will show there is still a need."
According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees nationwide for the 2015-2016 academic year was $32,405 at private colleges, $9,410 for state residents at public colleges, and $23,893 for out-of-state residents attending public universities.
By contrast, average tuition and fees at a community college
Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper also supports the
"One thing about community colleges, they are very nimble. So as business needs change, the community college can react to that," Dahlkemper said. "That's something that has really been missing in our region."
However, County Councilwoman Carol Loll said she still opposes establishing a community college — and is likely to vote no on the study — because she feels the school would duplicate what other colleges, universities and trade schools do.
"The taxpayers don't need to pay for something that's already being offered," Loll said.
Community college costs are typically covered by the school's local sponsor, through state funding, and student tuition.
County Councilman Kyle Foust, a director of internship programs at Mercyhurst University, has indicated he will abstain from voting on the community college study because of concerns that the school would compete with his employer.
Foust also abstained from voting on county sponsorship of a community college in 2010.
Councilman Edward T. DiMattio Jr. said he might also abstain because he has a relative who works for one of the state's other community colleges.
"A necessary thing"
Since 2014, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania has been among the schools trying to fill the local community college void.
At its 26-acre Porreco College campus, 2951 W. 38th St., Edinboro offers two-year associate degrees in applied technology, business administration, criminal justice, human services, liberal studies and preschool education, as well as other programs. Porreco College's enrollment for the fall semester is 381 students, up from 320 students in the fall of 2015, Edinboro spokesman Jeffrey Hileman said.
Tuition and fees for full-time students are $4,347 annually, but Erie County residents are eligible for endowment funding of up to $1,500, which lowers the total to $2,847, Hileman said.
Hileman said that Edinboro "is neutral on the plan to conduct a new feasibility study" for a community college.
However, Hileman said that if a new Erie County community college is established, "it is likely that the relationship between the university and a community college would be complementary rather than competitive. Porreco College was
"The university, through Porreco College, will continue for the foreseeable future to work with area employers and other educational institutions to offer associate degree, certificate and training programs that fill workforce needs," Hileman said. "If a community college is created that addresses all or part of those needs, the university will respond to the specific set of new circumstances in a way that best serves its mission, the region and students."
Hileman added that a new community college could prompt Edinboro to develop programs that serve students who begin their postsecondary education at a two-year school "and then choose to pursue a bachelor's degree."
Local for-profit trade schools such as Fortis Institute and the Great Lakes Institute of Technology also offer a variety of two-year degree programs. In addition, Mercyhurst has offered freshman-level courses at Erie's Booker T. Washington Center at low or no cost to inner-city students, and the school's North East campus has provided a curriculum similar to community college offerings since 1991.
DiNicola said that as the community college study progresses, Empower Erie hopes to bring all local postsecondary schools into the discussion.
Horton added that supporters of the plan have discussed community college issues with officials in Harrisburg and they are confident that the state Board of Education — which must sign off on a new community college — supports Empower Erie's efforts.
"We believe they're sympathetic to our plight," Horton said.
Leone, County Council's longest-tenured member, voted against county sponsorship of a community college in 2010, concerned that the county could be held financially responsible for millions of dollars each year in community college operating costs.
He has a different take now.
Leone said he will support the community college study because "I've always thought it was a necessary thing. Will it bring economic development and jobs here right away? I don't know. But we need it and I support it."