MAC Open House & Ribbon Cutting

New turf was put down about a week ago where bulldozers and cranes rumbled for a solid year of construction at Mineral Area College. Where once was just airspace between buildings, students now study quietly in the window seats of a skywalk. The community college in Park Hills is gearing up for a grand, multi-chamber ribbon-cutting on Sept. 12 to mark the end of expansion and improvement to the Park Hills campus that was fueled by a 2011, no-tax-increase bond issue the public approved by 76 percent.

The Mineral Area College ribbon cutting to celebrate construction and renovation will begin at 3:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 12, with the public open house beginning at 4 p.m. and lasting until 5:30 p.m. It takes place in the new student lounge and study area near the skywalk on the second floor of the Technology Building, accessible through the lower east entrance to the skywalk. Visitors are encouraged to park in Lot “A” and follow the signs. For more information, call (573) 518-2146.

MAC President Dr. Steve Kurtz said he’s looking forward to a good turnout.

“These projects were accomplished with community support,” he said. “Now it’s time to show the community the dream has become real, so I hope everyone who voted to pass the bond issue back in April 2011 turns out that Thursday evening. This open house is just as much their celebration as ours, and we want the voters to see how their votes turned out.”

The bond issue that ran in April 2011 garnered a 76% approval rating by the college’s taxing district voters. The college’s taxing district is comprised of the Central, North County, Farmington, Bismarck, West County, and Fredericktown school districts.

“The demands on education have never been greater,” Kurtz said. “Staying current on technology, keeping up with workplace demand, offering value and convenience while maintaining high standards—These renovations and expansion underscore how much we can do in education, so we’re looking forward to seeing our education colleagues, as well. They work every bit as hard as we do to bring their students the best.”

Visitors to the Sept. 12 open house will be able to tour the renovated library, science labs, specialized classrooms, CMU offices, advanced manufacturing lab and the new addition that contains Business Office and Student Services functions.

For more information about the open house, call (573) 518-2146.