East County Education Center expands enrollment and services; college hires master planner for proposed East County campus

Montgomery College officials updated the Montgomery County Council Education and Culture Committee on Sept. 18 about the growth of the East County Education Center (ECEC) and early steps toward a full East County campus. College leaders said the ECEC has become a hub for credit classes, workforce programs and community events since opening and that the college has retained a master planner to guide site selection and campus design.

Senior college leaders said ECEC — which celebrated its first anniversary in April — has served more than 2,700 students since opening and that fall‑to‑fall enrollment increased nearly 40 percent between fall 2024 and fall 2025. The number of credit students at the center rose from 64 (summer 2024 start) to about 713 students this fall, the college reported. The center now hosts a licensed practical nurse (LPN) program, a dual‑enrollment cybersecurity early‑college pathway for high school students, and several workforce and community learning programs.

“The center has become home to our new LPN program, leveraging nursing labs and the proximity to health care providers,” the college said in its presentation. Officials reported two graduated LPN cohorts and said the early‑college cybersecurity program now enrolls high school students who can earn an associate degree in two years.

Student affairs leaders described a central “Raptor Central” service area at ECEC that handled more than 2,800 student transactions (on‑site) this fall and a TRIO Educational Opportunity Center that has served more than 300 community members through federally funded outreach and counseling.

To move from a satellite education center to a comprehensive campus, the college has engaged Canon Design as master planner. College staff described a two‑track workplan: continue expanding programs at the ECEC while pursuing site evaluation, community engagement and the approvals required by the Maryland Higher Education Commission and other state authorities. The college said it expects to narrow site options and pursue state review with a target for final site selection in early 2026, and stressed that a campus will require significant infrastructure, transportation planning and sustained funding.

Provost Deidre Price and other college leaders emphasized community engagement and equity in site planning. "We are working to make sure our students are well prepared to navigate the career pathways ahead of them," Price said, and described outreach to local high schools and community partners. The college said it will coordinate with county planning, public‑works entities and state agencies as it evaluates sites and refines campus plans.

No formal Council action was taken. College leaders said master planning and community outreach will continue; they asked for ongoing coordination with county agencies and elected officials as the project moves through state review and potential capital planning processes.

Ending: Council members praised ECEC’s rapid growth and said they want regular updates as the college advances campus planning and state approval steps.