Daley seeks funds for Mon Valley school
State Rep. Peter J. Daley is seeking state money to help Community College of Allegheny County create an education center at the former Donora Elementary School.
Daley, D-California, sent a letter Tuesday to Gov. Tom Wolf asking for money for the CCAC project that was advanced last week, saying it was having feasibility studies performed on whether there is a need for such a center in the Mon Valley and to determine if the building is suitable for the school.
“This building has remained vacant and otherwise useless for five years now, and the prospect of turning this former center of education into a new satellite of a reputable institution of higher education within the heart of the Mon Valley is too good to be passed up for anyone at this time,” Daley wrote in the letter to Wolf.
Daley admitted he was making a “unique” request from Wolf at a time when Harrisburg has been unable to agree on a state budget for the current fiscal year.
Ringgold closed the century-old school in 2011, relocating students to another building in Carroll Township and the district is moving forward with the construction of a middle school at the high school campus, also in Carroll.
CCAC officials toured the Donora school in June as it made plans to increase its offerings in Washington County. The programs suggested for Donora include welding, construction, health care and cybersecurity. The feasibility studies CCAC is pursuing should be completed by the end of the summer.
Daley said it’s estimated it would cost between $5 million and $10 million to rehabilitate the Donora building, which is currently owned by the borough.
“I hope that you will consider and support this incredible opportunity as we move forward through our budget this year and towards the next,” Daley wrote the governor.