TOLEDO, Ohio —
A new educational partnership is coming to Toledo.
A year-long feasibility study conducted by Trellis Strategies indicated a need for more physical education presence in the city of Toledo. Over 190,000 people over the age of 25 in key parts of the city have either a high school degree or some college education, according to the city.
To bridge the education attainment gap, Owens Community College, the University of Toledo and Toledo Public Schools signed a letter of intent to work toward bringing more educational opportunities to the city.
Factors limiting education include the cost of living and transportation barriers, according to Bryan Ashton, the managing director of Trellis Strategies. The study looked into finding a site that would meet location and accessibility factors.
The University of Toledo's Scott Park will be used as the site for the new education opportunities. The location was formerly a community college but has not been used to its full extent since 1999, according to UT President Gregory Postel.
"What a perfect ending to a story that began with the use of this property so many years ago as a community college," Postel said.
Owens Community College will also look at other sites in the city to start reaching more people.
"This is going to provide an opportunity," said Dione Somerville, the president of Owens Community College. "It sets the foundation and gives us the data to help reassure us that we truly do need educational opportunities inside the city of Toledo."
Through partnering with TPS, the goal is to inform high school students of the opportunities they have when graduating. The study found nearly 75% of Toledo residents who are high school graduates did not enroll in college at graduation.
Postel said the partnership can help tell students about available professions and have them stay in Toledo to contribute to the local economy.