The Union Adult Learning Center will close June 30, leaving thousands of Tulsans with few alternatives for GED or English language education —- and saving Union Public Schools more than $200,000 a year.
UALC was the second-largest program of its kind in Oklahoma. For 25 years, it has provided free English as a Second Language (ESL) education, a High School Equivalency (HSE) program, job placement and education fairs to more than 30,000 community members. It serves around 1,200 adult students each year, with hundreds more on waitlists.
“I am extremely concerned that this will have a great impact,” said Amy McCready, UALC director. “There is really a lot of sadness and a lot of uncertainty. Where can (students) continue that lifelong learning, where can they continue to create the community that’s there for them?”
Declining enrollment across Union Public Schools left UALC on the chopping block. The district reported more than 400 fewer students this school year, affecting overall funding. The center was already operating at a loss following federal funding cuts last year.
“We have to look at what our primary mission is, and that’s for pre-K through 12 students, 100% graduation for them,” said Union Superintendent John Federline. “And unfortunately it’s just a program that’s no longer sustainable for us at this time.”
UALC students have already asked staff whether they can pay to continue taking classes, McCready said. Many of them have been attending classes at the center for years. Especially for ESL students, she said, it has become an invaluable community.
“They have taken that big, huge, courageous step to walk in the door and now we’ve let them down — it’s kind of how I feel, even though it’s not our fault,” McCready said. “We are just trying our best to wrap our arms around them, give them as much security as we can.”
The center has numerous partners that send students through the door — including Goodwill Industries, Salvation Army, CAP Tulsa, Muskogee and Tulsa Public Schools. While other options exist for GED and ESL services, there isn’t a similarly sized, free option in the area.
“We are hopeful that someone in Tulsa County will pick it up,” said McCready.
McCready and Federline pointed toward Tulsa Tech and Tulsa Community College as the best systems to support similar services.
TCC offers GED test prep at a cost. Its TRIO Educational Opportunity Center refers prospective college students to the Union center, then paying for the test after classes are completed.
“At this time, TCC is not positioned to replace the services offered by UALC but discussions are ongoing about what it would take to expand access to these courses in the future,” said TCC spokeswoman Kelsey Kane.
All full-time UALC staff have “first priority” for open positions at the district, said Federline. The district is “not planning on cutting any staffing whatsoever” as it adjusts the budget, he added.
McCready hopes the closure will motivate students who work best under deadline. UALC’s students will have access to classes, as usual, through June 30. The center’s final graduation celebration is May 19.
Tulsa Flyer’s guide for GED and HiSET testing resources in the area can be found here.
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