Legislators condemn Penn State plan that could close Hazleton, Schuylkill campuses

HARRISBURG – Six state legislators are condemning the very idea of closing Penn State’s Hazleton and Schuylkill campuses.

State Sen. Dave Argall (R-29) and State Reps. Jamie Barton (R-124), JoAnne Stehr (R-107), Tim Twardzik (R-123), Jamie Walsh (R-117), and Dane Watro (R-116) issued a joint statement Wednesday condemning Penn State’s plan to put any of 12 Commonwealth campuses on the chopping block.

Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi said seven others — primarily serving the state’s largest population centers, including Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Reading, and Altoona — will stay open.

Local legislators say that closing either Schuylkill or Hazleton would jeopardize local jobs, harm the regional economy, and make it harder to earn a college degree in the region.

Penn State Schuylkill, is the only four-year residential campus in Schuylkill County and one of the only higher education options in Schuylkill County.

“Both Penn State Schuylkill and Penn State Hazleton are part of the fabric of our region,” the legislators said in a statement. “These campuses teach career-defining skills to many people who otherwise may not have access to higher education and connect them with local, in-demand jobs. They host countless events that bring our communities together and provide stable, family-sustaining wages to hundreds of our friends and neighbors.”

“There is no plan to close these campuses we would accept,” they continued. “The opportunities they bring to Schuylkill County, Luzerne County, and beyond are life changing. Shuttering them would be a devastating loss for our region. We look forward to presenting our joint opposition directly and often to Penn State’s leadership.”

Penn State Schuylkill previously committed to using office space in the under-construction Center for Education, Business, and the Arts in Shenandoah, marking the first higher education facility of any kind in the borough in nearly a century and the first in northern Schuylkill County since McCann’s School of Business closed.

Bendapudi claims Penn State has “exhausted reasonable alternatives to maintain the current number of campuses.”

She said that, if any close, it will not be before the end of the 2026-27 academic year, which will allow associate students to complete their degree and 2+2 students to move on to their next campus.

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