Local colleges get millions in state capital budget

Cathy Petersen, a spokeswoman for Sinclair, said the college also will act as a “pass-through” for money ultimately headed to the Greater West Dayton Incubator, Aircraft Mechanic Training Center and Boys and Girls Club of Dayton, among others.

In all, local colleges will serve as pass-through agents for about $4 million in projects that will help smaller local agencies. The schools get a fee for that service, said Greg Sample, Wright State’s chief operating officer and executive vice president.

“The reason that we enjoy being a physical intermediary on these is that we can take an overhead fee off of it, and it’s beneficial to us,” Sample said.

An example of a pass-through project is the broadband expansion effort in Camden in Preble County. The state allocated $175,000 for that project, awarded to Wright State, who will transfer the money to the village as the project is completed.

Wright State was allocated more than $11 million for various projects, including repaving parts of the grounds, and work on their Health College initiative, which would move the entire college into one building.

“The amount was large, and we also will serve as a fiscal agent for several community projects,” said Tom Gunlock, chair of WSU’s Board of Trustees. “I know the confidence the folks at the state level now have in Wright State University.”

Edison State Community College in Miami County was allocated nearly $1.9 million, including money for improvements to classrooms and parking lots.

Central State University got more than $2.4 million for capital improvements, with about $1.9 million of that going directly to the university. Central State will act as a pass-through for about half a million dollars marked for the YWCA of Dayton’s new Huber Heights campus.

Bruce Johnson, the president of the Inter-University Council of Ohio, a group that represents all of the public universities in the state, praised Gov. Mike DeWine, as well as the legislature for passing the bill. He called the funding “much needed.”

“With these funds, we will make every effort to maintain the investments the state already has made in existing facilities, continue to offer world-class programs, and increase Ohio’s competitive advantage by capitalizing on our existing strengths,” Johnson said.