San Juan Basin Technical School and Pueblo Community College are considering a merger that would change the face of post-secondary education options in the local and surrounding area.

San Juan Basin Executive Director Bill Lewis said the concept has been around for quite some time but recent developments have brought it to the forefront.

"The discussions started years ago but haven’t been to the extent that they are now," he said.

Lewis said recent discussions about Fort Lewis College’s interest in taking authority over area two-year programs spurred PCC and San Juan into action.

"That would really tap into the role and mission of both PCC and SJBTS," he said. "That’s why we actively started pursuing this."

PCC Director Kathy Rousset said that separately, the two institutions have limited funding and opportunities to expand, but as a single unit, they could become a stronger, more efficient entity serving to the community.

"It would not be San Juan Vo-tech or Pueblo Community College," Rousset said. "It would be a new institution that is a full-service community college. That means it would do both the academic and full vocational programs."

Lewis emphasized that the merger would not jeopardize existing programs but rather enhance them financially as well as enable the addition of more programs.

"One thing we don’t want to have happen with this is reduced service, or limitations," Lewis said. "We would like to keep those programs intact. If we can’t do that, there’s no need in having a merger. When you’ve got facilities to house those programs, when you’ve got adequate funding, then you can offer more programs."

Currently PCC is a branch of a Pueblo-based community college under the State Board of Community Colleges and leases space from SJBTS and other locations in Durango, Ignacio and Pagosa.

"PCC was invited here (to Cortez) to fulfill a need that was perceived by the vo-tech school to offer two-year degrees, particularly in electronics and nursing," Rousset said.

On the other hand, SJBTS is more vocational and career-oriented, and is governed and financed primarily by area school districts, offering certificates for skills rather than degrees.

"The land is served by the three school districts — Mancos, Cortez and Dolores," Lewis said.

However, with both institutions residing under one roof, inevitably there is often confusion about the roles each school plays in the community.

"We both have an identity problem here in the facilities," Lewis said. "It depends what door you walk into. If you come into the west entrance and ask for a building-trades program, then you’re directed down the hall, and if you come into the south entrance and ask for English, then we direct them down to PCC. That happens every day. I think if you ask anyone in the community what the two institutions offer, you won’t get a clear answer."

Identity crises aside, Rousset said the most prominent advantage of joining PCC and SJBTS is the financial benefit, as a united school could seek much-needed state funding.

"There are funds available through the Community Colleges of Colorado system that neither of our schools here now can access," Rousset said. "One of those is for capital construction. Currently PCC has no campus — we lease space in all the communities where we are. At the same time, the vocational school cannot access those funds either. Their building funds are provided by the area school districts."

Lewis said obtaining capital-construction funding would allow them to rebuild, repair and expand the 30-year-old buildings.

"We need new facilities," Lewis said. "We’re maxed out on space. We desperately need to get a new facility in here and remodel the facility that we have and that would put us into a source of funding for that."

Rousset said in addition to structural improvements, new moneys would supplement technology needs and extend services into the five-county area of Montezuma, Dolores, San Juan, Archuleta and La Plata counties.

"Ideally, it would be nice if people outside of Montezuma and La Plata counties had easier access to some of the programs that are offered here," she said.

If the community college were to become a reality, both Lewis and Rousset said, there are many possibilities. Among the many things the school could possibly accommodate, Lewis said, are a student center providing access to computers, an office for economic development to provide customized training and a large community meeting room as well as living accommodations for students.

"One thing I hear is, ‘You’ve got great programs down there but we can’t send anyone and housing is hard to find.’ That tells me there is a need for dorms."

Lewis said there are many steps in the process of making the big changes, including gaining the support of the community, college employees, the State Board of Community Colleges, and legislation at both the local and state level as well as conducting studies that assess the advantages and disadvantages.

One study by the Community College System of the four area schools — Delta-Montrose; T.H. Pickens; Emily Griffith Opportunity School and SJBTS — will look at enrollment numbers, capital construction and governance, Lewis said.

"This has to be addressed and recommendations will be made from that study," he said.

On March 19, a Southwest post-secondary committee met to discuss another study of educational needs in the area. "It’s more of an assessment of what currently being offered, what’s needed and who’s offering it."

Lewis said both studies may provide necessary feedback on issues surrounding a merger, allowing the process to proceed to the next level.

Rousset said the next step will rely on input from advisory committees within the two schools and a meeting has been scheduled among them before the next SJBTS Control Board meeting.

"We’re looking to get input from our advisory committees before we raise it out there in the public," Rousset said. "They’re the individuals that are actively out there in the field, so they give us input on what we should be offering."

Rousset said the schools will also look to the community for input and eventually will hold open meetings.

"We’ve talked to a good representation of the community and we that this is what they’re asking for," she said. "Then the next step is to find out if that’s actually true. We need to address as many groups as possible — the city council, economic-development committees, the Farm Bureau — groups like that."

Lewis and Rousset said the merger is still in the early stages.