COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON THE

ERIE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE PLAN

November 13, 2019

Majority Opinion
On June 27, 2017, Erie County adopted a resolution to sponsor the Community College

of Erie County and to submit the Community College of Erie County Plan to the State Board of

Education (Board) for approval. Erie County’s Plan was submitted to and received by the Board

on July 3, 2017.

Upon receipt of the county’s proposal, the Board established a Special Committee on the

Erie County Community College Plan (Committee) and tasked the Committee with conducting

proceedings as appropriate under Section 1902-A of the Public School Code and formulating a

recommendation on the Plan for consideration by the Board. The Board also requested that the

Department of Education provide a report of its findings on whether Erie County’s Plan met the

legal requirements of the Public School Code to help inform the Board’s decision-making.

The Committee held its first meeting on September 13, 2017. At that time, the

Committee reviewed the factors set forth in the Public School Code that the Board must use as

the basis for considering plans to establish new community colleges. The Committee noted that

three factors delineated in the Public School Code must be satisfied in order for a community

college plan to be approved. Those factors are: 1) whether the local sponsor has a sufficient

population to sustain at least a minimum enrollment, 2) whether the local sponsor has sufficient

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wealth to financially support the college, and 3) whether the local sponsor is not adequately

served by established institutions of higher learning.

The Committee also reviewed Section 1902-A(e) of the Public School Code that requires

the Board to confer with and obtain the approval of the Governor’s Office as to the number of

community colleges that can be approved for participation during the ensuing fiscal period. At

its first meeting, the Committee adopted a motion to transmit a request to the Governor’s Office

to obtain the information required under that provision of the Public School Code.

The Committee concluded its first meeting by discussing its next steps in overseeing a

review of Erie County’s Plan. While not required by statute, the Committee felt it was important

to provide an opportunity for county residents to have their voices heard on the proposed

community college. As such, the Committee held a public hearing at the Raymond Blasco

Memorial Library on October 10, 2017, and heard from a diverse array of speakers including

county residents, business owners, and representatives of existing institutions of higher

education.

Upon reviewing Erie County’s Plan, the Committee met on December 19, 2017, to

discuss outstanding questions members had on the Plan. A request for clarifications and

additional information was submitted to Erie County, and the County submitted information in

response to this request to supplement its Plan in February of 2018. The County submitted

another update to its Plan to the Department of Education in December of 2018.

The Committee met again on October 29, 2019, at which time the Department of

Education presented a report of its findings on Erie County’s Plan at a public meeting. At that

same time, the Committee announced that Governor Tom Wolf had submitted two letters to the

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State Board of Education. The first letter contained a response to the consultation initiated by

the Committee per Section 1902-A(e) of the Public School Code and indicated that the

Commonwealth can support 15 community colleges in the next fiscal year. The second letter

was a statement of Governor’s Wolf’s support for a community college in Erie County.

Following receipt of this information from the Governor and the Department of

Education, the Committee submitted an additional request to Erie County seeking information on

the curriculum for adult education offerings at the Regional Career and Technical Center

(RCTC) – the adult education division of Erie County Technical School – along with information

about what the proposed community college would offer that the RCTC is unable to offer. The

Committee’s supplementary information request noted that a letter from the director of the

RCTC would be preferable in responding to this request. On November 8, 2019, Erie County

remitted the requested information on adult education programming at the RCTC, including a

letter from the director of the RCTC.

Upon considering the information presented in Erie County’s Plan, the Committee finds

that Erie County’s population is sufficient to sustain a minimum enrollment in its proposed

community college. The county’s estimated adult population in 2016 was similar to or greater

than four other counties (Beaver, Butler, Cambria, and Northampton) that have documented

community college enrollment. Erie County’s population aged 18-65 was 173,887, compared to

same-age populations in Beaver County at 102,469, Butler County at 115,512, Cambria County

at 83,029, and Northampton County at 186,424 Further, the educational attainment of Erie

County’s citizenry shows that more than half of its adult residents ages 18-65 hold either a high

school diploma or its equivalent or participated in some college but did not earn a degree. That

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demographic represents potential students who may elect to further their education at a

community college.

Finally, the Department of Education used three methodologies to calculate projected

full-time equivalent enrollments at a community college in Erie County. The Department found

that it is reasonable to project an enrollment between 1,739-2,318, which represents one

community college student for each 75-100 individuals in the general population within a 30-

mile radius, with projections by the Department representative of the county’s total adult

population in 2016. Comparatively, the Department found those enrollment projections to be in

close alignment with enrollments at community colleges located in three out of four counties of

either similar or smaller population size than Erie. For comparison, 2015-15 full-time equivalent

enrollment at Beaver County Community College was 2,064, enrollment at Butler County

Community College was 2,639, and enrollment at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College

(Cambria County) was 1,484. For further comparison, Northampton County Community

College had a full-time equivalent enrollment of 7,558 and the adult population of Northampton

County aged 18-65 is 12,537 more than the same-age population of Erie County.

Further, Erie County’s Plan reasonably demonstrates that the county has sufficient wealth

to financially support a community college. The County is proposing to support the first five

years of the proposed community college’s operations with revenue from student tuition,

anticipated state appropriations, and local funding from unrestricted gaming revenue and a

commitment of $3.7 million from the Erie Community Foundation. The share of unrestricted

gaming revenue used to support the proposed community college would increase over the first

three years of operations to support a phase-in of additional programs and a decreased reliance

on funding from the Foundation grant. Erie County has indicated that it does not intend to use

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local tax revenue to support the operations of the proposed community college over its first five

years.

The Department of Education found that Erie County’s Plan for supporting the college’s

funding for operational costs over its first five years are reasonable and would allow the college

to maintain a positive balance, which demonstrates sufficient wealth for supporting the

institution in its proposed construct. In its report, the Department noted concern about the long-

term use of gaming revenue as the exclusive source of local funding and its ability to support

growth of the proposed institution.

The 10-year capital budget presented in the County’s plan anticipates support from the

state of up to $10 million through a grant authorized in 2017 from the Redevelopment Assistance

Capital Program (RACP). The County noted that its required 50% local match of this grant will

be supported by through gaming revenue and funds donated by the Erie Community Foundation,

and further noted that it anticipated requesting a release of approximately $3.5 million in RACP

funds to support the Commonwealth’s contribution of its non-operating year costs, its capital

needs for both the non-operating year and year one of the community college’s operations, and

costs associated with establishing a library. Erie County’s Plan further states that its intention to

construct or acquire a building for the proposed community college in year seven of its

operations would be financed over 30 years.

In determining whether the county is adequately served by existing institutions of higher

learning, the Committee considered issues related to access, affordability, and programmatic

gaps. In terms of access, the Committee considered whether prospective students can gain

admittance to programs and whether delivery of programs matches their learning needs. The

Committee further considered availability of programs that match the needs of students with

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disabilities or non-traditional students. In addition, the Committee considered access from the

perspectives of affordability and availability of transportation to program sites. In assessing

affordability, the Committee considered the cost per credit along with accompanying fees,

availability of financial aid, and whether credits can be seamlessly transferred to other

institutions of higher education or applied to an industry credential. Finally, the Committee

considered whether the programmatic offerings of the proposed community college match the

needs of students and employers in a non-duplicated way and whether there is an ability to

address projected needs in a timely manner. The Committee concluded that Erie County’s Plan

demonstrated an unmet need in the county, particularly the areas of access and affordability.

Erie County’s Plan submitted in June 2017 and the supplementary documentation

received by the Committee in February 2018 delineate educational offerings in the county by

public and private universities, private licensed schools, and the Northern Pennsylvania Regional

College. An update to the Plan dated December 2018 provided additional information on shifts

in postsecondary educational offerings within the county noting the elimination of Edinboro

University’s Porreco College that offered community college-style courses and the closure of the

Fortis Institute. Based on this information, the Department of Education identified areas of

program duplication between the proposed community college and existing institution of higher

learning and found duplication in 17 of the 43 programs proposed to be offered by the

community college. The Department noted that it was not possible to make a precise

determination of program duplication due to the way information was provided and the lack of

common naming conventions between programs.

The Committee also submitted a supplementary information request to the County

seeking information about the curriculum offered by the Regional Career and Technical Center

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(RCTC), the adult education division of Erie County’s career and technical school, along with

information about what the proposed community college would offer that the RCTC is unable to

offer. A response to that supplementary information request was remitted by the County on

November 8, 2019. A statement from the director of the RCTC notes that the RCTC is not

chartered to award associates degrees that would be available through a community college. The

director of the RCTC further offered that RCTC’s offerings “are not designed with the depth or

rigor associated with traditional community college courses and programming” and that its

course offerings are more aligned with career development and would not compete with

programming at the proposed community college.

Erie County’s Plan further demonstrates a need to provide an affordable and accessible

pathway to higher education with suitable supports for community college students. Community

colleges are open access institutions that provide opportunity for students regardless of their

prior academic achievement. Admissions standards at existing institutions such as Gannon

University, Mercyhurst University, Edinboro University, and Penn State Behrend may make

them inaccessible for some county residents. The proposed community college also would

provide a more affordable pathway to higher education than existing institutions of higher

education. The proposed community college would assess tuition of $125 per credit and fees of

$22 per credit. Tuition for a full-time students in year one of the community college’s operations

is projected at $3,528 and is projected to increase to $4,704 in year five of the college’s

operations. For comparison, tuition at the Northern Pennsylvania Regional College currently is

$4,540. Among other regional institution, tuition ranges from $10,574 at Edinboro University to

$37,170 at Mercyhurst University. Tuition at the private licensed schools located in Erie County

varies by program and ranges from a low of $21,944 at the Fortis Institute (which is noted as

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facing closure in Erie County’s December 2018 update to its Plan) and a high of $36,400 at the

Great Lakes Institute of Technology. While there are identified areas of program duplication

between the proposed community college and existing institutions of higher education, the

Committee finds that the proposed community college would offer county residents a more

affordable pathway to attaining an associates degree.

Finally, Erie County’s Plan cites research from Columbia University’s Community

College Research Center that demonstrates that “distance and on-line learning is not the best

option for the kinds of students that typically enroll in community colleges.” The Columbia

University Center found “that students with lower incomes and weaker academic preparation

perform more poorly in distance and on-line learning courses than did similar students enrolled

in face-to-face courses.” Erie County’s Plan further notes that face-to-face advising and

guidance has been shown to have “a strong positive impact on community college student

retention and graduation.” The Committee finds that the proposed community college could

serve an unmet need to support the learning styles of traditional community college students.

Dissenting Opinion

The information presented here reflects the dissenting opinion of Committee member

Nicole Carnicella on the Erie County Community College Plan (ECCC).

1. Population: The number of residents may be adequate to support a community college,

however, other aspects of population need to be considered. Erie already has a higher number

than the state average of residents with associates degrees. The report from labor and industry

says, 43% of job openings are in the manufacturing arena, 13% in trade, utilities, and

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transportation, followed by 13% in education, 10% in professional services, 7% in construction,

5% in hospitality and leisure and 1% in government. These numbers equate to 92% of job

openings in the area. 63% of these current job openings can be filled with certifications from the

Regional Technical College, or another existing trade school, and there are already 3 programs in

existence for hospitality. The remaining 29% of job openings require a 4-year degree. Given the

landscape of the job market, the population does not require associate degrees. For those few

jobs available that may, Erie already has a population with more associate degrees than the state

average, and for those with some college no degree, there are countless other institutions in

existence to complete their credentialing.

2. Funding: To adequately assess the monetary feasibility, a report from the budgetary/

appropriation committee would have been preferable to a single statement from the Governor.

3. Adequately Served/Duplication of Services: I strongly disagree with the report from the

Department of Education. The Department claimed they could not say for sure if the courses

would be duplicative due to general descriptions in the proposal. However, because there has not

been a specific curriculum established, the only comparison we can make is between the general

headings/descriptions. The Department claimed 17 of the 43 proposed courses were duplicative,

when in actuality, every single course proposed by the ECCC except for 3, to be offered in the

fifth year (counseling, journalism, and sustainable agriculture) are duplicative. The Department

was also erroneous in the comparison on tuition. They compared the cost of one term, tuition

only at ECCC, to the TOTAL cost of certain certifications/degrees at comparable schools. The

cost for one term, $3,000.00, depicted on the graph at ECCC, not only goes to $4,700 in year

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five, that number is not a true picture of the TOTAL cost of the course. That $3,000.00 does not

reflect the 3-4 terms it may take to complete a degree, nor does it reflect the contribution from

Empower Erie or the contribution from the state. Comparable certifications and degrees at

Mercyhurst, Erie Institute of Technology, and the Great Lakes Institute of Technology average

$12,000 for an entire course, without taking into consideration financial aid, versus the $17,000

it would take to complete that same course at ECCC (with the aforementioned contributions of

tuition, philanthropy, and state funding.) Therefore, not only are 99% of the ECCC proposed

courses available elsewhere, the total cost to educate a student elsewhere is less than in would be

to educate that same person at ECCC. The $10 million state commitment from the

Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program to support the proposed community college’s capital

costs would be better allocated towards more PHEAA and PELL grants. Empower Erie's

contribution would be better utilized in the form of scholarships to institutions already in

existence.

I find it concerning that the only information we were allowed to consider is from the

applicant itself. I also find it concerning that the Department’s evaluation of the information was

also extremely one-sided. Because the job vacancies in Erie county do not require a two year

degree, because the Governor's report lacked fiscal transparency, and because there is virtually

100% duplication of services with tuition being a moot point, I do not think it is in the best

interest of the state to fund a community college in Erie County. If employers need certain

training, the Regional Technical Institute and the Northern Pennsylvania Regional College are

already in existence to implement any necessary programs. The lack of a robust course selection,

however, even at the Northern Pennsylvania Regional College, tells me that Erie County is

already adequately served by existing institutions.

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 I hope Erie County, along with every other county in the state thrives in the future.

However, more education will not create jobs, only more debt. Until this state becomes

competitive with our taxation of business and industry and stops chasing companies out of the

state, with the highest corporate taxes in the world, our residents will continue to not be able to

find fulfilling employment.

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