Fayette commissioners approve creation of educational authority
Action taken in advance of Penn State Fayette campus closing
With the closure of Penn State Fayette looming at the end of the academic year, the county is creating an educational authority that could take control of the campus once it closes.
Fayette County’s board of commissioners approved the creation of the authority Thursday following a public hearing at the start of its meeting. Commissioners are hoping that the campus can remain an educational institution, and more specifically, offer training in such areas as nursing, travel and tourism and the trades.
“This is not something we have taken lightly,” said Scott Dunn, the board’s chairman. Created under the state’s Municipal Authorities Act, the educational authority would oversee the Penn State Fayette campus in Lemont Furnace should Penn State decide to give the county the campus.
Initially, the membership of the educational authority will consist of Dunn along with his two fellow commissioners, Vince Vicites and Harry Kaufman, as well as Muriel Nutall, executive director of the Fayette Chamber of Commerce, and Phil Savini, a retired superintendent in the Brownsville Area School District.
“This is something we jumped on right away,” Kaufman said. “We have taken the initiative.”
Kaufman added that Fayette County is the only county among the seven that are seeing Penn State satellite campuses close to take this step.
“It is an asset that needs to remain a community asset,” said Jack Purcell, the county’s solicitor, citing its gymnasium and auditorium.
Penn State Fayette opened in 1965. In May 2025, Penn State’s board of trustees voted to shut down the campus when the 2026-27 academic year wraps up, citing declining enrollment and budget deficits. Satellite campuses in DuBois, Wilkes-Barre, York, New Kensington, Mont Alto and Shenango will also be shuttering.