Two classrooms were empty in the Blanca Peak building for months. This represented a void at the FRCC Larimer campus.
They are where classes for English-language learners and students seeking their GEDs thrived for years. Then came crushing news.
A loss of federal funding in June meant the closure of classes under the Learning Source.
Since then, officials have scrambled to fill the void.
Recently, some good news: GED classes for some students will resume under a program called Zero Dropouts. That would leave in limbo classes for ESL students.
Lauren Pellow, Larimer director of Zero Dropouts, said, “I meet students all the time who didn’t graduate high school. This is their second chance.”
Pellow formerly ran the Learning Source with GED services and English Language Acquisition classes for those 17 and up.
They weren’t renewed for their funding earlier in June.
The Learning Source operated under a grant from the federal Adult Education and Family Literacy Act.
According to Colorado Public Radio, a grant requirement of AEFLA is that adult learning services need to provide data that shows they are producing adults successful in the workforce.
“Some providers said they don’t have that data,” said Jason Gonzales, CPR reporter.
Zero Dropouts provides GED opportunities through an online program called Next Online, either live with teachers or at a student’s own pace.
Otherwise, Pellow provides help for those on the GED path with Tuesday and Thursday drop-in visits.
Because Zero Dropouts doesn’t receive federal funding, it relies on the school district to offer GED services.
That means, “You age out at 21 for high school. We only offer services to those seventeen to twenty years old,” said Pellow.
Next year, Zero Dropouts hopes to be for all ages, she said.
As for ESL classes, FRCC Vice President Rebecca Woulfe said the Fort Collins Economic Development Council may partner with FRCC, and “we are talking to our Boulder campus ESL folks about expanding to Larimer.”
