By Rodney Haas, Casa Grande Dispatch
Central Arizona College’s economic impact to Pinal County is $246 million annually, according to a study commissioned by the college.
That number is 5.8 percent of the total regional economy and is reflected in the college’s spending, the increase in productivity as former CAC students work in the county and spending by students stemming from higher incomes of students and their employers.
According to Gabe Rench, vice president of higher education for Economic Modeling Specialists Inc., the company hired by CAC to conduct the study, the way community colleges serve their region is simple.