By: NICOLAS FIERRO
Salina Post
Salina Area Technical College (SATC) has officially acquired the Saint Francis Ministries (SFM) campus in north Salina, furthering vocational education for the college.
On Friday morning, SATC, SFM, St. John's Military School Historical Museum and the community gathered to celebrate the signing ceremony of the acquisition at the Otis Avenue campus.
Mike McCall, Chair Board of SATC shared with the Salina Post how this acquisition will grow the college.
"This will expand our programs and with the growth the college is experiencing, we can use more space," he said.
Moreover, SATC will be able to use the dormitories on the Otis Avenue campus, opening the opportunity for students to obtain in-school housing.
"Opening up the opportunity to have housing on campus is our big mission. Mainly, our students come from the surrounding counties and now we have the opportunity to go outside of our region, drawing more people in."
President/CEO of SFM, William Clark told Salina Post he is at the same time "excited and saddened."
"I have a long history here. Having been a member of the St. John's Military School team as it transitioned to Saint Francis, there is a lot of history tied to this campus that is very important to me. But with that, I am also very excited that Salina Tech has the opportunity to make a statement here in the north end of Salina by truly educating more young people to give them a skillset and become successful in life. If you go back to the history of this campus, that is what it's all about."
Currently, SFM has a campus west of Salina, where they serve the youth in a residential setting. The organization plans to continue its mission and programs, as they have plans to find a new location for their corporate office.
"When I look at this campus, to me I look at it as sacred ground," said Clark. "What has happened here almost over 140 years, has really transformed people's lives. It's always important to look through the windshield of where you are going, that's why it's always bigger. But it's also important to look through that rearview mirror, and look behind you to gain a perspective from history."
He met with SATC President/CEO, Dr. Greg Nichols before this acquisition and discussed the vision of SFM wanting to allocate more resources to the youth at the west campus. Clark said SATC had a common interest in where they wanted to move forward.
"We wanted to find the right partner who is dedicated to helping people, with education being the big component," Clark said. "They were committed to the same ideals and principles that St. John's and Saint Francis have. They are the perfect transition partner that will carry the goals of this campus forward."
The Otis Avenue campus was founded in 1887. It was originally the site of St. John’s Military School, which served students for more than 130 years.
SFM assumed stewardship of the Otis campus after St. John’s closed in 2019. Shortly afterward, they relocated their corporate administrative offices and Salina programming offices there.
The St. John's Military School Historical Museum will maintain possession of its historical museum on the Otis Avenue campus.
For more information about Saint Francis Ministries, click here.
For more information about Salina Area Technical College, click here.
For more information about St. John's Military School Historical Museum, click here.