County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper, Empower Erie and the Erie County Community College Committee are pleased to announce the Pennsylvania State Board of Education voted yes on the Erie County Community College plan Thursday, June 11.
The virtual evidentiary hearing took place Wednesday, June 10, and Thursday, June 11.
The vote took place immediately following the two-day virtual evidentiary hearing at which testimony was heard from six witnesses on behalf of Erie County and Empower Erie, and three witnesses on behalf of the Northern Pennsylvania Regional College and Sen. Joseph Scarnati III.
At the conclusion of cross-examinations, the State Board members proceeded with questions for witnesses and deliberations, which resulted in the positive vote to execute the Erie County Community College plan.
The next steps will include establishing a board of trustees who will make all future decisions about the Erie County Community College. Such decisions include identifying a designated location for the bricks-and-mortar facility, finalizing the curricula, hiring staff, and more.
“This is a great day for Erie County,” Dahlkemper said. “After years of dedicated time and research and Erie County’s development of important partnerships with community leaders and educators, this is the outcome we’ve been longing for. Any time and effort is never wasted on education. The community college will provide the tools our students need to be successful. We will soon see that this investment will be a turning point for Erie County.”
For more information, including a full timeline of the application, visit eriecountypa.gov.
