College of Albemarle urges Gates County partnership to raise adult educational attainment

College of Albemarle officials told the Gates County Board of Commissioners on a budget workshop day that Gates County ranks near the bottom of statewide measures for educational attainment and urged the county to expand local services and partnerships rather than expect quick campus construction.

Dr. Dean Rat, identified by the college as vice president overseeing institutional research and compliance, told commissioners the college’s analysis of MyFutureNC data shows “34% of Gates County adults, 25 to 44, earn a family‑sustaining wage below the rural metro community average of 47%,” and that 27% of adults 25–44 have “some college, no degree,” a share well above peer counties. “Those adults and those credentials are key to whatever we want to do in Gates to get that attainment higher,” Dr. Rat said.

Why it matters: county officials and college leaders said raising credential attainment among adults would likely improve wages and local workforce options. The college argued that modest, targeted investments — local advising, credit evaluation for prior learning, bus transportation to nearby campuses, and use of school facilities for evening or short‑term classes — are more feasible short‑term steps than building a new, fully equipped campus.

College context and data: College of Albemarle (COA) officials said the college serves seven counties and that Gates currently generates about 13 full‑time‑equivalent (FTE) students for COA’s funding calculations. COA staff told the board a multi‑campus determination at the state level pays roughly $600,000 per year in additional state funding for main campuses that meet higher FTE thresholds; COA said its Eaton/Chowan operations have low FTE and that reaching a multi‑campus FTE threshold typically requires substantially larger enrollment than Gates currently produces.

COA presented specific county‑level figures the college used to identify near‑term opportunities: 27% of adults with some college but no degree, and a lower share of high‑school seniors enrolling in postsecondary study within 12 months of graduation (41% in Gates vs. about 52% in COA’s comparison areas). Those figures were presented as programmatic priorities rather than formal county targets.

Local options discussed: COA officials suggested several interim steps that would not require major capital outlays in Gates County: use of high‑school classrooms or other school facilities for evening classes (so COA could avoid the cost of equipping and maintaining a separate campus), stationing a county‑based navigator or academic advisor to help residents find how to translate prior credits or military experience into college credit, and coordinated transportation (buses with Wi‑Fi) to take groups of students to classes at COA campuses with programs such as welding or automotive where building a local lab would not be economically viable.

County finance and budget context: COA said county contributions from other non‑host counties to their main campuses vary widely; the college cited an example of a non‑host county request of about $250,000 in one district, and said Gates’ recent annual contribution to operate the local “old school” facility was roughly $237,000 plus an additional roughly $200,000 in capital support (figures presented by COA staff and described by them as approximate). COA said it expects to return to the county with a formal funding request tied to specific program options.

Commissioner discussion: Commissioners and residents present raised questions about using existing school facilities, recruiting local adjunct instructors and retired teachers, transportation, and whether short‑term steps could be staged while the county evaluates longer‑term options such as school consolidation or an eventual built campus. COA officials said they would supply more precise cost estimates for specific service models if the county wanted to pursue them.

What’s next: COA officials said they would follow up after the county’s budget cycle with more detailed cost options and an invitation to visit COA campuses; commissioners asked COA for concrete program cost estimates so the county can prioritize requests in the coming budget season.