The LPN program has been around for about 20 years, while the RN program just started last August.
Since 2020, the MVCTC Adult Education LPN program has had 176 “completers,” and another 22 are currently on track to complete the program by November of 2023, the district said. The RN diploma program has 31 student on track to complete the program at the end of this month.
Weldy said the changes are due to financial constraints.
“Unfortunately, the adult education division cannot continue to support these programs long-term financially,” Weldy said. “The board examined numerous options and determined that closing the PN and RN programs is the best course of action for the overall financial health and continued success of the entire district.”
Weldy said increased competition from other providers and discrepancies in state funding forced the district to charge higher tuition to nursing students. He also noted the difficulty in attracting nursing instructors, which many schools have cited as an issue. Currently, working in nursing pays more than teaching nursing.
“The significant difference in funding and the subsequent difference in tuition has put us at a distinct disadvantage and exacerbates the tenuous financial condition of the LPN and RN programs,” he said.
However, there won’t be changes to other programs, like the aspire/adult diploma program, dental assistant, electrical, HVAC, precision machining, phlebotomy, STNA and welding, Weldy said. It also will not impact the high school, satellite or youth connections programming, which is funded separately from the adult education division.
“The adult education testing center will not be impacted by this change, and MVCTC will continue to provide customized training for our many business partners in the greater Miami Valley region,” Weldy said.
Nursing programs are still available locally for those who are interested in becoming an LPN or RN. Sinclair Community College has an associate degree of nursing program, as does Upper Valley Career Tech Center. The Hondros College of Nursing will open a new campus in Dayton this summer.
LPN programs are also available through Upper Valley CTC and through Sinclair. Sinclair said there is currently no wait to get into the LPN to RN program for this fall.
“Sinclair Community College has a long, proud history of partnering with MVCTC,” said Cathy Petersen, spokeswoman for Sinclair. “Sinclair stands ready to assist MVCTC, if needed, during this transition.”
For those who want a bachelor’s degree in nursing, programs are available through Wright State University and Kettering College, among other universities.
Nursing and healthcare are among the most in-demand jobs in the area. Nationally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said more than 1.8 million jobs were available to healthcare workers in June, down slightly from the 1.9 million jobs available in June 2022.
OhioMeansJobs, a public search board for Ohio workers, had more than 33,060 jobs listed under the “healthcare” search as of Tuesday.
In the immediate wake of the COVID pandemic, the Ohio Health Care Association and other medical groups cited a shortage of nurses. Sinclair, Cedarville University and Kettering College are among the schools that expanded their nursing programs in recent years.
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