Chris Gray, Ph.D.
Founding President, Erie County Community College
Normally, I use this space to share how we are working to change the trajectories of students' lives - to empower them to believe in themselves and to see education as a tool for shaping their careers. But today, I want to take a slightly different path and talk about something less visible but just as important: the business side of the community college.
This isn't the most glamorous topic, but as your president, I spend a significant amount of time on it. So, let's talk shop.
Empower Erie served as the political arm of the movement to establish a community college in Erie County. Beyond championing education, Empower Erie consistently advocated for the college as a way to reclaim taxpayer dollars. And today, I want to share some concrete examples of how that argument has proven true.
When the community college was first proposed, many skeptics argued that there wouldn't be enough state funding and that the tax burden would fall on local taxpayers. That hasn't been the case.
Pennsylvania funds community colleges using tax revenue collected at both the state and federal levels. Even before Erie County had a community college, residents were still paying into that system, and they were doing so without seeing any of those funds come back to benefit them. Now, with EC3 in place, we are reclaiming those dollars for our community.
Community colleges receive three main types of state funding: operational funding, annual capital expenses, and access to additional capital funds. Each year, the state legislature allocates money to community colleges through the state budget. Erie County now receives over $3 million in annual operating support and an additional $600,000 for capital expenses. This operational funding is crucial to keeping EC3 affordable. It helps cover staffing, facilities, and technology, ensuring that tuition remains low and the college remains accessible. Without state and local support, tuition would be much higher, limiting access and undermining the mission of a community college. Since EC3's establishment, the state has already invested over $12 million in Erie County!
The third type of funding, additional capital funds, works differently. These funds are only available when the community college budget includes them, and they require a 50/50 match: the college must cover 50% of the cost, and if approved, the state covers the rest. Recently, members of our local delegation secured an additional $410,000 in capital funding, which will be used to replace windows at our Erie West campus. Renovations like this may seem routine, but commercial building maintenance is costly; our 90,000-square-foot campus requires a very different level of investment than a typical home.
Beyond this, our Allied Health program renovation at West Campus is a nearly $6 million project funded through federal ARP funds allocated by Erie County Government and a state grant from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP). Between the window project and the Allied Health renovation, Erie County will receive over $5 million in additional funding over the next two years. This is a tangible example of how the community college reclaims tax dollars for local benefit.
I would be remiss if I didn't also acknowledge the role of Erie County Government leadership in funding EC3. When the college was established, revenue from the gaming tax was reallocated to provide annual funding, reinforcing the original funding model for community colleges. When community colleges were first created in the 1960s, the promise was simple: one-third from the state, one-third from the local sponsor, and one-third from students. This shared investment model ensures that education remains both accessible and equitable for all.
And that's what EC3 is all about; we are committed to bringing opportunity home.
Our community: your college.