By Michael Roknick
SHARON — Educator Jerry Knight got his own education over the past year on the subject of local tenacity.
“Everyone kept coming after me over and over again asking me what I needed to get a school here,’’ Knight recalled Friday.
Speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony earlier in the day for the vocational school in Sharon, the executive director of Meadville-based Precision Manufacturing Institute told the audience that PMI will have an economic impact.
“This has been, of all the projects I’ve been involved in, the most fun and exciting,’’ he said.
A nonprofit educational organization, PMI has operated in Meadville for 20 years and in 2006 opened an expanded complex. The school boasts a 98 percent placement rate and trained 600 students over the past year.
PMI’s local school will be located on Dock Street across from Bertram Tool & Machine Co. Literally a land peninsula of Sharon, the site is surrounded on three sides by Farrell.
Total cost of the project, including a 12,000-square-foot school and training equipment, is about $3.8 million. The school could be open for students as early as December.
Housed on three acres owned by the Shenango Valley Industrial Development Corp., a local nonprofit development group, the organization sold the land at almost a fire-sale price of $5,000 an acre. The land had been listed for $25,000 an acre.
The Shenango Valley Foundation, also a nonprofit group, bought the land and will be PMI’s landlord. There were three requirements the foundation had for the project, said Larry Haynes, the foundation’s director.
“We wanted the school to be in walking distance to the poor, we wanted a beautiful building and have it built in a timely fashion,’’ Haynes said.
Crowded under a tent for the ceremony, local politicians and community leaders voiced their support for the school.
State Sen. Bob Robbins of Salem Township, R-50th District, noted that PMI has articulation agreements with dozens of colleges, including Penn State and Butler Community College, which have campuses locally.
“PMI is the most unique institution not only in Pennsylvania, but in the country,’’ Robbins said.
State Rep. Mark Longietti of Farrell, D-7th District, said the school will be training residents for employers with job openings.
“The highly technical jobs of the 21st century will be training here,’’ Longietti said.
U.S. Rep. Phil English announced that PMI will get $100,000 in federal funds for technology training. Part of those funds will be used at the new school.
“Already a top-notch institution, PMI provides training with technical expertise unmatched by other technical schools,’’ English said. “By expanding its available resources, PMI will be able to train more students, helping to further enhance our region’s employer competitiveness and innovation.’’
PMI’s Meadville school offers 28 nationally credited programs where the average student is likely to take a 16-week course. But more sophisticated classes can last nearly a year.
“We want to offer all the classes here that we do in Meadville,’’ Knight said.
To start, the Sharon school will teach machining, robotics, industrial maintenance, software engineering, welding and other subjects. If successful, there’s enough space at the site to double the building’s size.
Ohio residents also will be welcomed at the school and will not be charged a higher fee, Knight added. Tuition costs will vary based on each student’s situation. Currently, 80 percent of PMI’s Meadville students get financial aid. No student is turned away due to lack of funds.
Ultimately, PMI will become a showcase for the area, Haynes said.
“The Shenango Valley Foundation is building the building for the benefit of the community,’’ he said.
