Linn-Benton Community College Announces Changes to Services in Sweet Home

Over the past several years, exacerbated by the pandemic, usage of the LBCC Sweet Home Center, located at Sweet Home High School (SHHS) has declined dramatically. Student needs and usage of the Center have shifted during and after the pandemic, and as a result, LBCC leaders decided to close the Sweet Home Center this winter. Effective this month, the Center will return to the high school for its use to support high school enrollment and space needs, and LBCC services will be offered at sites throughout the high school and community instead of the Center.

LBCC continues to strongly support Sweet Home students in a variety of ways. Advising staff will support dual enrollment students at SHHS with weekly office hours (every Wednesday) inside the high school. The college also serves local residents through community and extended learning, such as last month’s LBCC-sponsored early childhood education seminar provided to 11 participants at the Sweet Home Boys and Girls Club.

“Our rural outreach remains a very high priority,” said LBCC President Lisa Avery. “As an important part of LBCC’s vision of ‘Education for All,’ we strive to serve all corners of our service area. While the use of the Sweet Home Center has decreased over the past several years, this was a difficult decision to make due to the long history of the Center serving the community.”

LBCC’s partnership with the Sweet Home School District remains vital. 

“LBCC has been a strong community partner for decades,” said SHSD Superintendent Terry Martin. “We are optimistic that we can continue to work with LBCC to provide educational programming that benefits Sweet Home students and community members in the years ahead. LBCC is welcome to use school district facilities whenever an opportunity arises for an in-person class, seminar, or workshop provided space is available.”

Martin continued, “Our community is growing and lots of good things are happening here. According to data recently released by the Oregon Department of Education, Sweet Home is one of a small number of school districts in the state that experienced enrollment growth from the fall of 2019 to the fall of 2022. Families are discovering what a wonderful place Sweet Home is to live, work and learn.”