Advocates for Proposition J, a tax levy in two local school districts that would support a future Warren County technical school, addressed concerns and questions from Wright City residents Monday evening.

St. Charles Community College President Dr. Barbara Kavalier was the lead speaker of the evening. SCC is proposing Prop J in response to a desire from local businesses to bring technical training programs to Warren County. Prop J would bring the residents of the Warren County R-III and Wright City R-II school districts into SCC’s taxing district and levy a tax of 16.66 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. In exchange, SCC would build and operate a tech school to serve the Warren County region, as well as offering in-district tuition for all SCC programs.

Also speaking was Steve Etcher with the Greater Warren County Economic Development Council. The GWCEDC is the leading group advocating for technical training in Warren County as a way to support local manufacturers, create job growth and draw new employers to the area.

About 20 members of the public came to ask questions Monday evening, ranging from concerns about taxes for older residents to how many students a local program would serve.

Below are the major questions the residents sought to address.

What programs would be offered?

Replying to a question about what would be taught at SCC’s technical school, Etcher said there are five core program categories that have been identified: welding, advanced manufacturing processes, industrial maintenance, agriculture technology, and transportation/logistics.

Those are the skills that are currently in demand and support good paying jobs, Etcher said.

For specific classes and training goals, Kavalier said SCC’s existing technical programs have advisory committees made up of people from local industries.

“They’re the ones who actually sit down with the faculty and help develop a curriculum,” Kavalier explained. That way, the training provided by SCC is in line with the credentials local industries are looking for.

How to justify taxes for seniors?

One of the primary concerns surrounding any tax proposition, including Prop J, is that tax hikes are increasingly difficult to afford for senior residents who live on a fixed income.

“When I can’t make my house payment, what am I gonna do?” demanded a man at Monday’s forum.

It’s a question that proponents of Prop J have struggled to address. Etcher said one of the primary benefits for senior residents is that people trained in skilled trades, such as electricians or plumbers, will become more common and available to provide services that seniors need. Many currently leave for better paying jobs to the east, he said.Second forum planned for Monday in Warrenton

How many people would use training?

About 300 to 500 Warren County students commute to attend classes at SCC in St. Charles, Kavalier said. It’s hard to say how that number would change if there were programs based in Warren County. 

Kavalier said based on the history of growth in St. Charles, she predicts the need in Warren County will continue to increase. SCC currently enrolls about 7,000 students in for-credit classes and ten times that number in continuing education programs, Kavalier said. She added that projections from Warren County industries on how many future jobs they’ll need to fill show a large demand for technical training.

Will tuition be cheaper?

Some residents have expressed interest in Prop J, but have questioned how things like student tuition would change by being in SCC’s tax district. SCC officials said out-of-district tuition is about 50 percent higher than in-district tuition. For a full-time student, having in-district tuition saves about $800 per semester.

How does the cost of SCC compare?

Fielding a discussion about training offered by private technical colleges such as Ranken, Kavalier said SCC is much more affordable. Ranken charges over $600 per credit hour, while SCC’s in-district charge is just over $100 per credit hour.

Why can’t businesses offer apprenticeships?

Another common criticism of Prop J is that businesses who need skilled workers could just train those workers themselves.

“You can go a lot of places and they’ll train you at no cost,” pointed out one person at the forum. 

“Actually, businesses are looking at community colleges and technical colleges to offer their apprenticeship programs,” Kavalier replied. “We just received a federal grant this summer for $1 million to work with businesses and industries for apprenticeship programs.”

What do businesses pay?

The reverse of that question is if businesses aren’t doing entry-level training, how committed are they to paying for workers to get that education?

“There’s a lot of companies that have tuition assistance programs. They will pay for their employees to get trained. They will pay off student loans if that’s what it requires,” Etcher said. “They’re looking for talent. They’re investing in their people.”

He added that it’s much easier to send a full-time employee to evening classes down the street after work than sending them on an hour round-trip to St. Charles.

When would we see an impact?

“Our goal right now is, come January, to have a presence here,” Kavalier replied. “Obviously we’re not going to build something between now and January, but we could lease something. We’ve already started looking and considering property that might be available quickly, just to get something going.”

SCC already does have some local partnerships with businesses and schools, but those will always be fairly limited as long as Warren County is outside the college’s tax district, Kavalier said.

What if only one area passes the tax?

One of the questioners wanted to know what would happen if Prop J only passes within the Wright City R-II School District and not Warren County R-III.

“Wright City gets a technical college,” Kavalier replied.

SCC President Dr. Barbara Kavalier addresses a room of Wright City-area residents who came to ask questions about Proposition J Oct. 21 at Wright City Scenic Regional Library.