Northwestern Technical College will merge administrative services with Coosa Valley Technical College in Rome, Ga.

It was announced earlier this month that the merger was being considered by the Technical College System of Georgia.

Northwestern officials were not available for comment Monday morning.

Northwestern is headquartered in Rock Spring and serves Northwest Georgia. It has a satellite campus on Battlefield Parkway in Ringgold.

According to the Technical College System of Georgia, neither campus will be closed as a result of the merger, but personnel will be cut.

Coosa Valley Tech president Craig McDaniel said a significant reduction in both schools’ budgets is expected. “Each school will lose $250,000,” McDaniel said. “We don’t have the luxury to lose $700,000 or $800,000 without losing people.”

Specific personnel cuts have not yet been announced. “We’re going to take care of this consolidation thing, it’s been given to us and we’re going to make it work,” McDaniel said.

Republican Sen. Jeff Mullis of Chickamauga said of the merger, “I am against the merger. Our local legislative delegation is advocating against it. We don’t want to lose our local identity.”

But Mullis said he also understands the need behind the merger. “I understand the state must take strong measures to avoid a looming budget crisis. The state is looking to save money. The governor has given a directive that each department throughout the state is to cut operating costs by 6 percent. This is the technical college system’s way of meeting the governor’s directive.”

Under the proposal, administrative services at 14 of the state’s technical schools will be consolidate into seven. The state has 33 technical schools. Each of the 14 campuses will continue to operate. The mergers are expected to save about $3.5 million.

“Combining the office of the president will save the state money,” Mullis said.

But he said he regrets seeing the office cut from Northwestern. “The current administration of Jeff King (interim president at Northwestern) has been outstanding. He is to be applauded for filling the office vacated by long-time president Dr. Ray Brooks.”

Brooks left Northwestern in February to become president of Piedmont Technical College in Greeenwood, S.C.

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Northwestern, Coosa Valley tech colleges could merge (published Sept. 10)