Officials in Cameron County — one of nine municipalities to be served by a future regional community college — are taking issue with a lack of local hands in the school’s creation.
Cameron County Commissioner Phil Jones told The Era on Thursday that his board would have liked a chance to recommend a local representative to the college’s board of trustees — a 15-person group hand selected by Pennsylvania Department of Education officials.
It currently includes three representatives for Cameron County, none of whom live there.
“We’d at least like the opportunity to find a representative to sit on the board,” Jones said. “Someone with first hand knowledge of our community.”
They aren’t likely to get that opportunity for some time.
Board members serve staggered terms, meaning an opening isn’t likely to come until next December, at the earliest.
In addition, legislation approving the school’s creation limits the board to its current size. It also does not require members to reside in the municipalities they represent, according to Jones.
Cameron County’s current representation includes Kate Brock of the St. Marys-based Community Education Council (CEC) of Elk and Cameron Counties, as well as Susie Snelick of the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission, a regional economic development engine. Neither were available for comment on Thursday.
In their quest to occupy a board seat, the county commissioners are receiving support from a state lawmaker and champion of the rural regional community college initiative.
“I understand the commissioners’ concern,” said state Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint, adding, “I support putting someone from Cameron County on the board of trustees.”
Jones said, if given the chance, he and the commissioners would prefer to nominate someone from the local school or business communities, adding there is no confirmed candidate as of now.
“Maybe we wouldn’t even be able to find anybody, but we’d at least like the opportunity,” he said.
Jones said he has no problem with the county’s current representation in Brock and Snelick, but feels a local board presence would further benefit the county’s community college interests.
Meanwhile, the existing board of trustees is working to free $1.2 million in state funds budgeted for the school under strict conditions.
The money can only be released once the college is formed, according to current budget law. But founders argue the funds are needed first, to pay for planning services and fill administrative positions vital to the school’s formation by a one-year planning deadline.
They are joined by lawmakers like Causer in leaning on the state Department of Education to release the funding, but a decision, or change, has yet to be made.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Once operational, the new community college will offer two-year associate degrees, as well as training and certificate programs to traditionally underserved counties — specifically Cameron, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, McKean, Potter, Venango and Warren.
Founders said the college’s curriculum will be determined based upon the future workforce needs of the region — a matter currently under review — with courses to be taught using Interactive Television Instruction (ITV).
Advocates like Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Brockway, laud the initiative as a first in the area, one expected to grow local talent pools and economies.
“Providing rural communities with access to affordable higher education is critical to providing new career opportunities for students and improving the economy,” Scarnati said. “We want to help provide cost effective educational opportunities to students so that they have the necessary skills to meet the demand for new jobs.”
