Latest news with #Schuylkill
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Photos: Sixth annual Schuylkill PrideFest takes place at the fairgrounds
The annual Schuylkill PrideFest took place Saturday afternoon at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds. Attendees could browse the various vendors, enjoy performances and learn some queer history at the Stonewall exhibit. Scroll down for photos from the event. READ MORE: Schuylkill PrideFest brings people together Morgan Morgan Morgan performs during the annual Schuylkill PrideFest held at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)Folks check out the Stonewall exhibit during the annual Schuylkill PrideFest held at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)Smore walks into the event with wings spread during the annual Schuylkill PrideFest held at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)Elliot Strange, from Pottsville, gets ready for the annual Schuylkill PrideFest held at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)Elliot Strange, from Pottsville, gets ready for the annual Schuylkill PrideFest held at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)Dennis Landon, with Fair Districts PA, produces a large bubble during the annual Schuylkill PrideFest held at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)Tawny Clark, right, takes a photo of Jenn Brothers, left, during the annual Schuylkill PrideFest held at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)The crowd watches a drag performance during the annual Schuylkill PrideFest held at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)Danyel Vasquez, of Ohio, performs during the annual Schuylkill PrideFest held at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)Vindicticia F. Glamour, of Bloomsburg, performs during the annual Schuylkill PrideFest held at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)Rose McDonald strikes a pose during the annual Schuylkill PrideFest held at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)Morgan Morgan Morgan accepts a tip during the annual Schuylkill PrideFest held at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)Duncan MacLean, with Fair Districts PA, dresses as Sen. David Argall who the group hopes can 'slay the dragon of gerrymandering' during the annual Schuylkill PrideFest held at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)Felicia Rondajambe, of Reading, performs during the annual Schuylkill PrideFest held at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)Morgan Morgan Morgan dances amongst the crowd during the annual Schuylkill PrideFest held at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)Bri Rogers, left, and Jaden Ebert, right, watch a drag performance during the annual Schuylkill PrideFest held at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Penn State report explains benefits of keeping Schuylkill campus open
A Penn State University study of its commonwealth campus system explains why the Schuylkill County branch is recommended to remain open while seven other campuses across the state are proposed for closure. The university's board of trustees is scheduled to next meet on Thursday at 5 p.m. via Zoom, and school officials expect the plan that resulted from its internal study to be approved by the board. For three months there was uncertainty whether the campus along Route 61 in Schuylkill Haven would be among those shut down amidst the biggest transformation in the history of Penn State's campus system. But after a Philadelphia Inquirer story this week revealed leaked details of the study, the school released the report in its entirety and showed that the Schuylkill campus is listed among those suggested to remain open. Penn State officials have said the closures are financially necessary and will allow the university and its surviving branches to improve. Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi has requested the closures because the current statewide model 'subsidizes decline,' according to internal records obtained by Spotlight PA. 'Fulfilling our land-grant mission does not require a four-year campus in every corner of Pennsylvania,' she wrote. The report shows that campuses proposed for closure following the 2026-27 school year are Dubois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York, while Hazleton, Scranton, Beaver and Greater Allegheny would remain open. Already listed as safe from closure were the Abington, Behrend, Berks, Brandywine, Great Valley, Harrisburg and Lehigh Valley campuses. Cory Scherer, Schuylkill's interim chancellor, said this week he has received no official word regarding Penn State Schuylkill's future. But state legislators from Schuylkill and local government, business and education leaders said they were cautiously optimistic that the campus that they had campaigned to protect now seems like it will survive the closure process. A sign in front of a banner in the Morgan Auditorium at the Penn State Schuylkill campus on May 14. (LARRY HOLEVA/STAFF PHOTO) The 143-page report includes profiles of each campus, analyzes data and finances, outlines local support and makes the case for why each should remain open or close. The Schuylkill campus has more than 700 students in 10 baccalaureate programs, including fields of healthcare, business and technology. It offers four associate degrees, and the first two years of undergraduate classes for more than 275 majors that can be completed at University Park. The report recommends Penn State Schuylkill for continued investment in part due to its 'steady recent (three-year) growth and operational stability within a challenging demographic environment.' Also mentioned in Penn State Schuylkill's favor were the success of its radiology and nursing programs, and that New Kensington, which is planned for closure, is the only other campus with a radiology program. The report mentions that the campus also added Penn State-owned housing in 2022, remodeled its nursing suite in the last three years, has a healthy residential housing occupancy rate of 70% and has a geographic position and compact campus that make it an important access point for students who might not otherwise pursue a Penn State degree. * A staged campus residence at Penn State Schuylkill, pictured Friday, May 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * A baby and an adult mannequin lie in beds in the nursing lab at Penn State Schuylkill, Friday, May 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Equipment for the Penn State Schuylkill radiological sciences courses, pictured Friday, May 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) Show Caption 1 of 3 A staged campus residence at Penn State Schuylkill, pictured Friday, May 16, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) Expand Local leaders who argued in favor of keeping the Schuylkill campus open pointed out that it was the only one of the satellites that has had increased enrollment in recent years, a trend it expects to continue based on recent applications and acceptances. Schuylkill school district superintendents stressed that many high school students from the county earn college credits by taking dual enrollment courses through Penn State, and many other students attend the campus after graduating from Schuylkill high schools. The report listed enrollment at Penn State Schuylkill at 698, but campus officials expect that to soon climb closer to 800. Fifty-two percent of the current students are first-generation college students, which is the case for many students from Schuylkill County, officials said. Penn State Schuylkill's leadership has shown strong alignment with Penn State's goals and faculty and staff have been proactive in identifying regional program opportunities, the report said. 'Penn State Schuylkill presents a strong case for continued investment. With targeted support, Penn State Schuylkill can continue to deliver high-quality education to a broad regional population while contributing to the overall goals of the commonwealth campus strategy,' it said. Community support for the campus was strong, the report said. That feedback described the campus's importance in providing accessible higher education to students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the campus's substantial economic impact on the county, and its unique programs such as its nursing and co-op programs, which create direct talent pipelines for local employers, the report said. The report said that closing the seven campuses it recommends for such action would allow Penn State to provide stronger support to the branches that remain open. The trustees vote would not be the final step in the process to make those closures official, though, as Pennsylvania law states that the state Department of Education secretary must approve the action. The statute explains that an institution looking to close a campus must submit a formal application by July 1 of the calendar year preceding the academic year for which the closure is requested. The secretary will then approve or disapprove based on the satisfaction of the following requirements: * Preliminary feasibility study. * Documentation of reduced needs or resources in support of the proposal and in relation to institutional, regional and commonwealth needs and resources. * Evidence that discontinuance of the branch or campus is consistent with the institutional plan and the master plan of the commonwealth. * Indication of the financial impact on the budget of the parent institution or the State System of Higher Education and the commonwealth. Department of Education officials would not comment on the study released by Penn State, but press secretary Erin James said the department will follow the process outlined in state law if and when the university submits an application. 'The Shapiro administration respects the autonomy of our commonwealth's higher education institutions to make their own financial decisions, and we will continue to engage with Penn State, members of the general assembly, and — most importantly — students and parents as the university releases more information,' she said. The department did not say whether it has ever rejected an application submitted to close university campuses in Pennsylvania.
