County commissioners approve $2.8 million bond for college

The Sussex County Commissioners on April 6 unanimously approved on second reading the $2.8 million bond ordinance for improvements at Sussex County Community College.

The ordinance authorizes bonding for capital repairs, paving, classroom improvements, academic facility retrofitting, communications improvements, among others.

It also includes security and safety improvements and improvements at the Public Safety Training Academy.

According to Commissioners Director Anthony Fasano, the county is responsible for half of the cost and the state is responsible for the other half.

Kenneth Collins of Andover said the county should be careful about how much money is spent at the college due to what he called its declining enrollment.

“I’ve been tracking the attendance here at the school for the last 20 years, and it’s down to half of what it was at the turn of the century,” Collins said.

Commissioner Herbert Yardley said while all the other county colleges throughout New Jersey have shown decreased enrollment, Sussex’s enrollment remains stable.

“Hopefully that will go up as more people return to it,” Yardley said. “I think the direction of the college has gone into vocation al and the culinary and it appears those have been very popular with students at the college.”