Mineral Area College wants to make $8 million in improvements

PARK HILLS, Mo. -- Mineral Area College is asking voters in its district to approve a no-tax-increase bond issue to raise $8 million for improvements to its Park Hills and Fredericktown, Mo., campuses.

Over the past two years, the community college's enrollment has grown by 25 percent. School officials say with more students, requiring more services, they need expanded and renovated facilities.

"Mineral Area College, like many other community colleges around the nation, tends to see significant enrollment increases during times of economic instability," said Sarah Haas, public information director. "We're educating unemployed people so they can return to the workforce better than ever, but we're also serving a lot of employees who want to make themselves more marketable and more competitive in the jobs they already have."

If the bond issue is approved by voters April 5, the community college district's tax rate will stay at 47.5 cents per $100 assessed valuation. That rate includes 13 cents per $100 assessed valuation for the debt service levy, which would be used to pay off the bonds. Its district includes all of St. Francois County, most of Madison County and parts of Iron, Washington, Ste. Genevieve and Perry counties.

Additional funds generated from the bond issue will fund expansions and renovations at the main campus library, student services facilities and science labs. It will also fund renovations and expansions at the Fredericktown outreach center.

Russell Sanders, earth science instructor, shows how water is siphoned and drained with containers under a sink without plumbing in Room 110 at the Fredericktown Center of Mineral Area College.

Enrollment at the college's Fredericktown center has doubled since it opened in 2004, Haas said.

The projects to be funded were considered high priority in the college's 15-year capital plan, put together by college employees and community members in the last few years.

If the bond issue is approved, it will fund seven new state-of-the-art science labs, eight new classrooms, enhanced Americans with Disabilities Act compliance and improved facilities for agriculture and horticulture.

The science department "is very excited about improving the infrastructure that's over 40 years old at MAC and expanding our labs," said Rhonda Gamble, physiology, anatomy and microbiology instructor. "Although we have a quality staff, some of our equipment we use continually until it breaks and it's time to buy new equipment. We're at the end of being able to replace and repair."

The area that now houses registration, advising and financial aid will double in size if the bond issue is approved.

That is typically the first area of the campus students come to, said Mark Easter, a counselor and student adviser.

As the student population has grown over the past 10 years, more student services staff have been added.

"We're still in the same space we were 10 years ago, but now we have additional employees," Easter said.

Privacy is important when dealing with the personal nature of many students' needs, he said.

"This will greatly enhance my ability to do my job," Easter said. "The ability to have an office where students can be assured of complete confidentiality. Right now, people may feel iffy about coming in and talking about a personal issue."

The Farmington Chamber of Commerce at its March board meeting voted to endorse the bond issue, citing benefits it will bring to the region's economy.

"Without a strong education system, we can't attract strong businesses," executive director Doug McDermott said. "They need a qualified workforce. The stronger the college is, the stronger our community is."

New science facilities are particularly important in helping bringing businesses into the area, he said.

"When a community looks to recruit and maintain high-tech industry and medical facilities, it's got to have the skilled labor force to serve those businesses," McDermott said.

Mineral Area College cooperates with Three Rivers College and Southeast Missouri State University in the Cape Girardeau Partnership for Higher Education, now in its second semester of classes at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center. Courses are also offered by Mineral Area at the Perry County Higher Education Center in Perryville.

Those programs will benefit indirectly from the bond issue, Haas said, because the college as a whole will benefit.

mmiller@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

5270 Flat River Road, Park Hills, MO