Listen in MP3 format

In an economy like this, a $2 million donation to a college seems improbable. But with the largest donation in school history, Ozarks Technical Community College will soon be seeing its Lebanon campus grow. KSMU’s Justin Lux reports.

Reuben and Mary Lou Casey of San Clemente, California have given OTC over 13 acres of land valued at $2.6 million. The Caseys, who lease warehouses, had one in Lebanon which was not bringing in revenue. So they decided to look for a business or organization to donate it to.

The land, which the Casey’s have owned since 2007, already has two new buildings that will be used for workforce development training this spring and classes next fall.

The donation allows OTC’s Lebanon campus to start growing immediately. That is a major benefit for a campus that saw its enrollment grow by nearly 15 percent last year.

"The OTC campus in Lebanon is really going to be a step in the future of the education of the young people in Lebanon," said J. Howard Fisk, treasurer of OTC's Board of Trustees.

Fisk also says the expansion of the Lebanon campus will give students the opportunity to remain in the community while still receiving a quality education.

OTC plans to begin converting the warehouses into classrooms.

For KSMU news, I’m Justin Lux.
 

Related Items: