Surge at Tampa Bay community colleges ends

Jodie Tillman:

Community college enrollment has started to decline, signaling a possible end to the recession-fueled boom that sent large numbers of local job-seekers back to classrooms.
Enrollment statewide began leveling off last year, but area colleges are now seeing significant dips in their fall term head counts.
The number of students enrolled so far this fall is down 4.4 percent at Hillsborough Community College and 2.5 percent at St. Petersburg College. Pasco-Hernando Community College is seeing an even steeper decline — about 8 percent.
Those decreases follow explosive growth — double-digit percentages in some years — at all three colleges in recent years.