HACC finds money for classrooms in York

Harrisburg Area Community College officials have decided to open a branch campus in York in August.

So far, businesses have donated $300,000 to help HACC lease classroom space. The money would cover a 10-year lease for 50,000 square feet and allow the college to offer classes during the day The college will release the location of the branch and the donors' names later this month, said Edna Baehre, president of the college. The branch will open in time for the fall semester.

Board members had directed Baehre to collect $800,000. Baehre said she is in negotiations with other companies for "a considerable amount of money."

More than 600 HACC students take classes at five York County schools at night, after elementaryand high-school classes are finished. Day classes could push enrollment to 1,000 students. Since the program started nearly two years ago, the college has turned away at least 50 students who wanted to attend day classes.

The York County center would specialize in training for manufacturing and health services and have laboratories for both, Baehre said.

WellSpan Health committed $100,000 over two years for the branch campus, said Barry Sparks, a spokesman. WellSpan already has a partnership with HACC's nursing program at Gettysburg Hospital. WellSpan also runs York Hospital.

"We want to be able to grow the pool of qualified candidates for nursing and allied health programs," Sparks said. "Obviously, the more local the better."

The expansion comes at a time when community colleges statewide are struggling with cuts in state funding. HACC already faces a $2.1 million shortfall in its $99 million budget this year, said Pat Early, a spokesman with the college. The shortfall last year was $1.3 million. The college's board of trustees decided at its Nov. 2 meeting that it could not afford to expand the York program on its own. Board members directed Edna Baehre, the college president, to get at least $800,000 in donations from local businesses to prove there is a need.

Although other colleges serve York County, the area does not have a community college. Community colleges serve more lowincome people and provide specialized work-force training, Baehre said. It costs between $2,040 and $3,840 to attend HACC for a year, depending on where the student lives. In comparison, it costs $9,184 for a year at York College of Pennsylvania and $9,180 at Penn State York. In some cases, students at Penn State York have to transfer to Penn State Harrisburg to complete their degree programs. The commute can be difficult for some, especially those without reliable transportation.

Transportation also has been a concern for students enrolled in HACC's night classes, held at Central York Middle School, Dallastown Area High School, South Western High School, West York Area High School and the Head Start Center in York. For example, students might have classes at different schools on the same night, Baehre said.

York Memorial Hospital received a request this week for a donation, but officials had not examined the proposal yet, said Josette Myers, a hospital spokeswoman. She said it takes at least 90 days to process such a request. The hospital is in Spring Garden Township, York County.

HACC added the tagline "Central Pennsylvania's Community College" last fall to reflect its growth. The college has branches in Lancaster, Lebanon and Gettysburg.

Pennsylvania has 14 community colleges. They have nearly 1,400 training contracts in place annually with businesses statewide. The colleges provide customized training to 47,000 employees a year, according to the Pennsylvania Commission on Community Colleges.

Copyright Journal Publications Inc. Feb 04, 2005
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