The Valley Forge Military College in Wayne, Pennsylvania,, is one of four junior colleges in the United States focused on preparing students for careers as commissioned officers in the military.
But the small, affluent township of Radnor, where it's located, wants the land the college sits on for its own development projects, and John English, the Chair of Valley Forge's board of trustees, said the community is willing to sue the school into the dirt for it.
"The township is in conflict with the local school district about their current rec-center," English said. "And so they want to build their own and they see our campus as possibly being parkland, a rec-center and basketball court. And they're trying to do it on the cheap and they're trying to condemn it, and essentially, if you want to quote me, steal it."
English said the only way out may be to shuck off the sentimental baggage – the history of the college and its connection to the land it's on – and leave Pennsylvania altogether.
And when decorated U.S. Army veteran and Edmond Republican Senator Kelly Hines learned of the crisis, and that the college was considering relocation, he reached out to leaders and invited them to an interim study to discuss publicly.
"There's only four of these institutions across the entire United States," Hines said. "If they end up with no home to go to they will likely end up closing up there anyway, and then the nation has lost that capability."
The Army isn't likely to advocate for opening another junior college like Valley Forge, Hines said, and the situation, while tragic, presents an opportunity for the school and Oklahoma, as a "military-friendly" state.
Oklahoma is one of three states Valley Forge is considering a move to, along with Florida and South Carolina. English said Oklahoma is now at the top of the list, and the biggest draw is a guarantee Brent Bryan, Oklahoma City's Chief Financial Officer, made him.
"We met with the CFO of Oklahoma City; I wanted to hear directly from government leaders that if we were to move here, we're not going to be dealing with condemnation, or people coming after our nonprofit status, or zoning violations or harassment," English said. "And we got that, we got that assurance."
There are other weighty factors, besides the political will, he said, like available real estate, the growing aerospace industry in Oklahoma, and the proximity to Tinker Air Force Base, which could mean an eventual partnership and U.S. Air Force Enlisted Commissioning Program, similar to what Valley Forge already has with the Army and Pennsylvania National Guard.
Hines believes the opportunity is too good for Oklahoma to pass up.
"There's only four schools in the United States that do what Valley Forge does, and that's make second lieutenants in the Army in two years. Everybody else takes four," Hines said. "And then those kids go on to the local or some university to get their four-year degree. They also do an outstanding job of preparatory work for the United States Military Academy at West Point. So they bring something that we don't have here...I think it would be a boundless opportunity for us across the board."
So, what are the logistics?
There are two routes Valley Forge could take to move to Oklahoma: the public route (joining the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education) or the private route (remaining a nonprofit). And English said he does have a preference.
"We feel strongly about wherever we relocate, we do need to fall under a state system," English said. "What we are looking for is to be on equal ground, equal footing with our other three military junior colleges."
The military colleges in Georgia and New Mexico, and Marion Military Institute in Alabama, all have state backing. Valley Forge operates as a non-profit, which means it only has as much support as it does donors are willing to give, and for a school that guarantees a free-ride through several scholarships, English said, it means operating on "a shoestring budget."
Sen. Mark Mann, D-Oklahoma City, said he was excited about the prospect of an Oklahoma Military College but had concerns about the financial burden it could place on the state.
"What would the cost be to the state for these scholarships?" Mann asked, "Or is this something we're already paying for and it would just transfer over if students chose to go to your college?"
Valley Forge President Col. Stuart B. Helgeson, who presented the school's academic and financial offerings to students, said he didn't know what the cost would shake out for Oklahoma." I can tell you what we're charging now, to charge Pennsylvania for these, and it's $12,000 a semester," Helgeson said.
Oklahoma's Adjutant General, Thomas H. Mancino, jumped in to clarify that the state already appropriates money for several National Guard scholarships and career opportunities – to the tune of $12 million dollars, according to the latest state budget. Funding the school would mean minor tweaks to existing statute, Mancino said.
But even if Oklahoma can afford to have the school move here, Sen. Hines said joining the regents' oversight would take too long.
"It's time sensitive," Hines said. "I don't want to take 2 or 3 years to get laws changed and then they move."
He said he'd rather see the school move here first, and then worry about including them in the state's higher-ed system.
"That's going to take some law passing – and an alteration to the Constitution," Hines said. "So that's going to take a longer period. And if they're interested in moving sooner than later, I think it's going to be kind of a hybrid."
