By Erica Solvig
The Cincinnati Enquirer

LEBANON - A two-year pilot program to bring college credit courses into existing classrooms across Warren County - and possibly result in a community college - won final approval Thursday.

The bill proposing the plan was part of the $48.8 billion state budget Gov. Bob Taft signed Thursday afternoon. Later that evening, the board of the Warren County Career Center, located north of Lebanon, gave its final endorsement by a 4-2 vote.

Now, the governor will appoint three people and Warren County commissioners will appoint six to the college's board of directors. Those nine leaders ultimately will be the ones who develop a proposal for a community college to the Ohio Board of Regents

The two approvals Thursday were the final hurdles in an idea that's been talked about for about two years.

"We see this as an enhancement to what we're doing," says Vince Roessner, superintendent of the career center, which serves about 7,000 adults and 1,000 high school students.

Warren County ranks near the bottom in the state in terms of adults aged 18-39 with any level of college education. It's Ohio's second fastest growing county and the largest by population that does not have a physical public college or university campus within its borders, according to the state regents board.

"For one reason or another, the residents in Warren County don't go outside the boundaries for more education," State Rep. Tom Raga, R-Mason, said Thursday morning at an Area Progress Council of Warren County event. "We're trying to build a new model for educational delivery."

Raga, who backed the legislative bill, and other advocates talked about the college project with the group of county business leaders as well as some education and government leaders at Fort Ancient State Memorial in Oregonia.

Now that's its approved, the career center will contract with colleges and universities to bring college-level courses and instructors to Warren County. The classes, which are expected to start in 2004, would be held at area high schools and the career center.

Several area universities and colleges - including Miami University, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, and Sinclair Community College - have expressed interest in participating. They'll meet July 9 to explain their proposals.

"It's going to force us to use the resources we already have," Raga said. "It's taking the best of what's around us."

Though it was in the budget, the two-year pilot doesn't use state capital funds because no facility is being built, Raga said.

The program is based loosely on Lorain County's. Officials will use the next two years to gauge the need and support for an actual college, which requires the approval of the Board of Regents.

E-mail esolvig@enquirer.com