East Central and St. Charles Community colleges may be vying to expand future educational opportunities in Warren County.

Local leaders recently discussed exploratory plans to build an SCC satellite campus that would provide technical programs to the Warrenton and Wright City area. But Warren County resides in the ECC service area based in Franklin County. Building an SCC campus would require rearranging the two colleges’ service area boundaries, which would require a public vote.

However, ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer believes ECC could fulfill Warren County’s needs without the necessity of such redistricting. He said while there haven’t been any discussions yet, ECC would be open to the possibility of a satellite campus in Warren County.

“I can certainly appreciate the interest in having opportunities for further education and training available — that’s what a community college is all about,” he said. “I’m looking forward to engaging with those in the area to talk about what else can be done and I’m hopeful we can serve their needs.”

Bauer said a satellite campus, not unlike the school’s current campus in Rolla, could be a possible solution. He said the service at that campus is based on the demand of the area and has been largely successful.

ECC’s Rolla campus offers a wide range of transfer, career-technical and health care programs designed to meet the needs of the city of Rolla and the surrounding community.

“As needs developed over time we established a presence there and served the area very well,” Bauer said. “I see this as a process that really starts with understanding what the county needs.”

That would include researching the demand of a community college and what type of population a campus would draw, Bauer said.

In the past, ECC has offered classes and noncredit technical training in Warrenton. 

“That’s a conversation that’s certainly important and needs to be had,” Bauer said. “It’s early in this process and it’s too soon to see how this will take shape, but I think it’s time to engage with this and identify what the needs are.”

State Rep. Bryan Spencer, who has been a strong advocate for a technical program in Warren County, said partnering with SCC would make a Warren County community college more likely to become a reality and makes more geographic sense. Several surrounding counties are in the SCC service area.

Other local leaders have stated a community college that teaches technical and trade skills would be a workforce development tool that makes Warren County more attractive to employers.

Bauer said ECC’s focus on building Missouri’s workforce makes it a good fit for that need.

ECC would like to be part of the conversation before Warren County votes to move outside of the college’s district, he added.

“Anything we can do to expand opportunities for the region is important work to be done,” Bauer said. “We’re ready and willing to do that and there’s an opportunity here. We’re ready for that dialogue.”