3-year YEC transition sought

By HAROLD GWIN

gwin@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State University’s Board of Trustees would be asked to alter its plan to end its partnership in the Youngstown Early College program under a scenario favored by a committee appointed to come up with a YEC transition plan.

The trustees, acting as the board’s Academic and Student Affairs Committee, voted last month to end that partnership with the Youngstown City School District effective June 30.

The program allows selected Youngstown city school students in grades nine through 12 with demonstrated academic potential to attend classes on the YSU campus, earning college credit while they complete their high school education.

The school has 250 students this year and has been based in YSU’s Fedor Hall since its 2004 inception.

Scott Schulick, chairman of the board of trustees, and Anthony Catale, president of the city school board, jointly appointed a committee to map out a plan that would see the newly formed Eastern Gateway Community College replace YSU as the school district’s partner in the program.

The committee, meeting Thursday to look at various possible scenarios, came to a consensus that a three-year transition plan that would keep the program in Fedor Hall while Eastern Gateway begins to assume its role in the school is the best option.

Schulick said that plan will require the Academic and Student Affairs Committee to change its decision to totally cut ties with the school June 30.

The three-year transition scenario would require the trustees to reduce YSU’s tuition rate from $290 per credit hour to $96 for YEC students to match Eastern Gateway’s tuition charge.

Under the original terms of the partnership, YSU is responsible for 49 percent of the YEC tuition charge for YSU classes, and the school district is responsible for 51 percent.

Catale said that if the tuition is cut to $96, the school board may be willing to pick up the entire tuition tab.

The total would be less than the district is paying at the 51 percent mark, which is about $350,000 this year, he said. Under the $96 tuition rate, total tuition would amount to less than $300,000.

Catale pointed out that YSU still would benefit from YEC student enrollment in YSU classes through State Share of Instruction subsidy to the tune of about $700,000 a year.

That, coupled with the city schools’ picking up the total tuition bill, would generate some $900,000 to YSU in the first year of the transition, Catale said.

The trustees also would have to agree to allow the program to remain in Fedor Hall and allow next year’s YEC sophomores, juniors and seniors to continue taking YSU classes toward earning YSU associate degrees.