Bill Cassidy, president of the Washington County Community College, has announced plans to move the school’s Marine Technology Center programs from Eastport to Calais.
In making his May announcement Cassidy said, “WCCC is facing a projected $500,000 shortfall in the upcoming FY 2006 fiscal year. The shortfall is a result of: State funding not keeping pace with rising costs, flat enrollment, and escalating costs in fuel ( 15% over last year), health care rates ( 6.5%), retirement, and other operating expenses.”
He added, “The Marine Technology Center in Eastport is projected to cost the College $160,000 ($174,000 minus $14,000 in lease revenues) in operating costs next year. The MTC houses the Boatbuilding and Adventure Recreation programs, with a combined enrollment this year of 14.”
“These programs will be moved from the MTC in Eastport to the main campus in Calais,” Cassidy said in May. “This move will allow the College to reduce overhead costs, and attract more traditional-age college students to these programs — with access to college dorms, more course options.
The College will continue to offer limited instruction (that which requires the use of the pier and MTC equipment) at the Center. The College will also continue providing local access to the pier and docks, and maintain the facility which houses several organizations not affiliated with the College. College leaders will work with Eastport officials, economic development leaders, and others to pursue a planning grant to explore options for future utilization of the MTC.”
On June 14 Cassidy said that there had been 27 MTC applications and that WCCC had accepted 19. He was waiting to see how many actually enroll.
Cassidy did say that if some miracle provided adequate funding, he would consider keeping the Center in Eastport. “But I don’t see that funding coming at this point.” Asked if the move to Calais could be considered an interim step, he replied, “Everything is on the table.”
For last remaining faculty member Dean Pike, Eastport city officials like Manager George “Bud” Finch, and State Senator Kevin Raye the announcement triggered a fight to keep the MTC, better known as the Boat School, in Eastport.
But for Boat School Chair Bret Blanchard, whose position was eliminated by Cassidy, the move is the end of more than two decades of service. Blanchard is now the general manager for legendary boatbuilder Ralph Stanley in Southwest Harbor.
Pike called the move to Calais “a step backward” and added, “The shop is way too small and it is doubtful that the ventilation and dust evacuation system is adequate…all this adds up to spending a lot of money to duplicate what we have right now, that being the best facility for teaching boatbuilding in the nation.”
For his part, Sen. Raye said, “I am deeply concerned about the plan to close the Marine Technology Center at Eastport. With recent news reports highlighting the need for workers in Maine’s boatbuilding industry, now is not the time to diminish the Center’s programs.”
Asked if the decision could be turned around, Raye responded, “It is too soon to assess that. I want to make sure we exhaust every avenue, but I can’t predict the outcome yet.”
Although Blanchard is now at the Ralph Stanley boatyards, he’s still concerned about the school. He attributes the recent year’s suspension, the layoffs of two faculty members and the present difficulties to “a lack of vision and poor management” from WCCC. Like Pike, he can’t see how the MTC can survive in Calais.