MONT ALTO, Pa. — The 587 students enrolled this fall at Penn State Mont Alto are in the final fall semester the campus will see. Penn State trustees announced in 2025, the campus would close at the end of the spring 2027 semester.
Trustees have opted to move the campus forestry program to its Altoona campus, even though at one time the program was protected with deed restrictions keeping it at Mont Alto and its proximity to Michaux National Forest.
According to Rep. Chad Reichard (R-Franklin), a land conveyance was slipped into the budget during deliberations this past year. In this case it had the effect of stripping the requirement for certain properties at the seven closing regional Penn State campuses to revert to the state if they were not to be used for educational purposes.
“Land conveyances are pretty common”, said Reichard, “but it is usually amicable.” The difference here was that this one was slipped in without discussion and was not a well agreed action. A large group of representatives and others quickly formed to oppose the conveyance, but were ultimately unsuccessful on the House side. Reichard and Representative Rob Kauffman (R-Franklin/Adams) voted against the conveyance. Reichard added that Sen Doug Mastrianno also voted against it when it came up, but the opposition was unsuccessful on short notice there as well.
“I do know that with the history of the forestry program at Mont Alto,” Kauffman said. “We have the capacity and infrastructure to continue that program here. Franklin County is where it should stay, which is why the deed restriction was originally placed on the land for the Penn State Mont Alto campus.”
Mike Ross, president of the Franklin County Area Development Corporation, in his current organization newsletter, offers an outline of what the repurposed campus might look like, while area legislators have continued to show their opposition to Penn State’s overall closure plans.
“With respect to Penn State Mont Alto,” Ross said, “we are helping lead a community effort of community stakeholders to advance a reuse concept that would preserve the 106-acre campus as an integrated conservation, education, workforce, healthcare and community-services hub.
“The planning model envisions the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources as a potential lead steward, with participation from Lackawanna College, WellSpan Health, Franklin County CareerTech, the county’s public school districts, Leg Up Farm and other public and nonprofit partners.”
Ross continues, “The concept is promising, but important due diligence remains before any final decision.”
A public meeting to share actions and plans for the regionally popular campus have not yet been scheduled.
