Possible PSNK closure a blow to area school districts, but they'll continue to promote the option

Nine students from last year’s graduating class from Kiski Area High School intended to attend Penn State New Kensington.

But, so far, only two students from this year’s graduating class plan to do so.

And Superintendent Jason Lohr can’t help but think that press coverage surrounding Penn State’s announcement of possible campus closures plays a factor.

Not only are the proposed closures a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts, area school district leaders also say the closure of Penn State New Kensington likely would hinder their students’ access to college.

“The issue will be, they can’t just drive up there and take a class,” said Burrell School District Superintendent Shannon Wagner. “And that’s what the beauty of it has been.”

“We do have students that go up there — a lot of the region does — because it’s close and a good, reputable university.”

But that convenience and experience could cease in two years if a plan to close seven of Penn State’s Commonwealth campuses, including the New Kensington campus in Upper Burrell, moves forward.

University administration recommends the DuBois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York campuses close mainly because of declining enrollment and financial woes. The board of trustees will meet virtually at 5 p.m. Thursday to consider the recommendation, according to a statement from Penn State.

The meeting will be live­streamed, and information on how to access it can be found at trustees.psu.edu/thursday-may-22-2025.

“The impact isn’t really on Burrell School District,” Wagner said. “The impact is on the community. I think it will hinder some of our students’ ability to get a college degree.”

At least 14 Burrell graduates over the past three years have indicated they would attend Penn State New Kensington, Wagner said.

A number of high school graduates from New Ken­sington-Arnold’s Valley High School go on to take courses at Penn State New Kensington, Superintendent Chris Sefcheck said, although he was unable to provide an exact number.

District administration and school counselors haven’t yet discussed how they’re going to present Penn State New Kensington as an option if is officially scheduled to close, he said.

“We’re going with business as usual,” Sefcheck said. “We’re going to do what we have to do to fight alongside them, to keep them. We feel it’s valuable.”

Julie Wollman, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, thinks Penn State’s recommendation ends any uncertainty surrounding the Penn State branch campuses.

“Realistically, there’s probably greater uncertainty about small schools on the brink of closure that no one is aware of than there is about the Penn State campuses now,” she said. “But I do think the enrollment at the campuses slated to close in two years is likely to (continue to decline) as students seek out other options.”

Wollman said high school counselors might suggest other options as they’re thinking about whether the branch campus experience could erode as they move toward closure.

However, Wollman said, a counselor still might suggest a branch campus if a student wants a specialized or hard-to-find program that could be completed in two years or less, like Penn State New Kensington’s associate degree in biomedical engineering technology or radiological sciences.

Closing Penn State New Kensington would limit possibilities for students, especially those who are economically disadvantaged, Sefcheck said.

According to Penn State’s analysis, roughly 31% of Penn State New Kensington students are Pell Grant recipients, 14% identify as underrepresented minorities and 43% are first-generation college students.

“It’s not just the students; it’s the families,” Sefcheck said. “What a great institution to have in our backyard. It would be a tremendous loss.”

Just under 37% of Penn State New Kensington students are from Allegheny County, 29% from Westmoreland and 9% from Armstrong.

“It is unfortunate that the university system must recommend the closure of some of its branch campuses,” said Jan Zastawniak, spokeswoman for the Allegheny Valley School District. “However, education at all levels is facing a lot of unknowns at this time.”

Five Springdale students in the Class of 2024 — which is 7.6% of the graduates — were to attend Penn State, Zastawniak said, although she did not have a campus breakdown for that year. One student in the Class of 2023 attended Penn State and, in 2022, six graduates were to attend Penn State, two of whom were going to PSNK.

“We will continue to encourage our students to closely examine all paths for their future, whether that be with a university, trade school or place of work,” Zastawniak said.

Springdale High School students who want to attend Penn State would still be able to, Zastawniak said, whether it be at its Greater Allegheny or Beaver locations or at its main campus in University Park. There are 15 colleges within 30 miles and 27 colleges within 50 miles of the Penn State New Kensington campus.

But Penn State New Kensington professor Andrea Adolph said, for many students, it isn’t that simple. Students who attend Commonwealth campuses can’t just simply drive to another campus, she said.

“For many years, there have been very little strategic opportunities to maximize enrollment at Commonwealth campuses,” Adolph said. “They will always meet their quota at University Park — at the expense of the Commonwealth campuses.”

Be it for smaller class sizes, affordability, accessibility or something else, students elect to attend a Commonwealth campus for a reason.

“There’s a mistaken belief that the student experience that (Penn State) is touting is uniform,” she said. “Many students get the experience they want at a Commonwealth campus.”

Lohr said Kiski’s staff will continue to explain advantages and disadvantages of branch campuses and the opportunities to transfer among the branches.

“This is already something we discuss with the current number of branches, and it would just continue to be a part of that conversation,” he said.