Nevers' bill creates Northshore Technical Community College, expands school's role

BATON ROUGE — Gov. Bobby Jindal had a piece of legislation delivered to him Wednesday that is vitally important to the future of Washington Parish.

It is SB 69 — introduced by Sen. Ben Nevers (D, Bogalusa) — and it creates Northshore Technical Community College.

That’s right. What began as Sullivan Memorial Trade School in November 1930 — the state’s first trade school — is now on the verge of becoming a member of The Louisiana Community and Technical College System and her students will be able to transfer their credits to four-year institutions.

All that remains to be done is the signing of the bill by Gov. Jindal.

“This is the most important piece of legislation regarding that campus since the initial legislation that created Sullivan,” as excited Ryan Seal told wpnewsblog. Seal is the executive director of the Washington Economic Development Foundation.

“It’s almost impossible to place a dollar value on what this means,” Seal said. “Credits can transfer … high school students can earn college level credits … it just means so much.”

The legislation faced little opposition on its way through both chambers here, with the Senate approving it 34-0 and the House by an 81-9 vote withy 15 absentees.

The law, once signed, creates the Northshore Technical Community College as a multi-campus, public institution of postsecondary

education under the supervision and management of the Board of Supervisors of Community and Technical Colleges.

In addition, it provides that the Northshore Technical Community

College:

1.     Shall provide a comprehensive educational program which may include career and technical education and training, workforce development training, adult basic education, continuing education, general education, associate degree programs, college transfer degree programs, and other educational programs.

2.     May grant certificates, diplomas, associate degrees, and associate transfer degrees. 3. Shall provide educational programs and services through the Florida Parishes Campus, the Hammond Area Campus, and the Sullivan Campus of the Louisiana Technical College, and others.

The law also requires the LCTCS Board of Supervisors to submit a written report to the Senate and House education committees relative to the status of the Northshore Technical Community College, not later than Jan. 1, 2012.

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)