LAWRENCE COUNTY Learning center evaluates viability

The center would like to receive funding from Lawrence County.
By VIRGINIA ROSS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- The executive director of the Lawrence County Learning Center said he will know this week whether the facility has the money to continue operating the remainder of the year.
Arthur R. Zarone said the center's board plans to review the center's financial statements at a meeting on Tuesday.
"We've made it this far; we just need to look at how much farther we can go," Zarone said. "We have some options, but we'll be able to talk about that better after the meeting."
Lawrence County commissioners confirmed that the learning center has asked the county for financial assistance. Commissioners said they have not acted on that request and did not provide additional information about it.
However, Commissioner Ed Fosnaught said a previous commissioners' board, of which he was a member, had made a verbal agreement with New Castle City Council that called for the county to provide financial backing to the county Federated Library System and the city to support the learning center.
Dialogue with city
In August, Zarone asked the city for $17,000, an amount he said would allow the center, at the Columbus Inner Belt, to operate the rest of the year. Several council members agreed to offer Zarone $7,000, which he said would carry the center through the end of October.
But the learning center later withdrew its request after council discussed giving the center the money providing the center agreed not to file for tax-exempt status, and if it were to do so, it would be required to return to the city all the money the city has provided.
The center recently purchased the building it occupies and has filed for nonprofit status.
The learning center offers college courses at low cost and allows students to transfer credits to more than 80 colleges and universities, Zarone said.
He said the center ran short on money because it did not receive an increase in state funding this year. He noted the majority of students serviced at the center are from the city.
The city gave the center $35,000 last year and $45,000 in 2003. The center's administration had proposed receiving $45,000 this year, but council cut the amount to $10,000 when it adopted the city's budget. The city gave the $10,000 to the learning center earlier this year.