Why do we need a Community College?
For several decades, Erie County has become poorer, less educated and older on average than the rest of the United Sates. Since 2000, things have spiraled downward.
The US Census Bureau reports that our per capita income was 20% below the national average in 2000. It was 21.4% below in 2008.
Erie County falls behind in the education attainment rates compared to Pennsylvania and the Nation. The number of Erie County residents 25 or older, with a bachelor degree or higher is only 23.1% compared to the 27.4% in the United States.
Our young people continue to leave. Our median age was 36.2 in 2000 and 38.2 in 2008. Based on feddback from the nonprofit sector, the 2010 census will likely show these trends continued and accelerated.
"The statistics underscore the reality that Erie County needs a community college," said Mike Batchelor, president of The Erie Community Foundation. "It is in the best interest of our county to try and reverse the trends that have led us to become less educated and poorer than Pennsylvania and the United States."
The community college has met some opposition, especially within the County Council, but on June 15th the council passed the resolution, 5-1 to make the county government the state-required sponsor for the community college. This approval was needed because Erie is a Third Class city, not a first class city and state law requires sponsorship from one of three sources; a First Class city, school districts or the county.
State Senator Jane Earll has also been a strong supporter of the community college and has been able to pass state legislation to use money from table games revenue from the Presque Isle Downs & Casino to fund the community college.
Business leader and chief executive of GE Transportation, the largest employer in our area, Lorenzo Simonelli, is also an advocate of the proposed community college. He strongly urged County Council to vote in favor of the resolution.
On June 7th, The Erie Community Foundation established a $1 million fund for capital and operating costs for the college. Other financial support has come from Scott Enterprise, PHB/Reddog Industries and Custom Engineering Co. Collectively they have pledged $30,000 to the fund.
Now that the plan has been approved, the decision is not final. The college’s overall operating plan and the state application still need to be approved. "The community college is a vital step in the right direction to secure the future of Erie today and for generations to come," Batchelor said.
