Tucked along U.S. Highway 412 at the western edge of Paragould, in the heart of Greene County in Northeast Arkansas, Crowley’s Ridge College (CRC) is a small but steadily growing Christian liberal arts institution.
Founded in 1964, the private, four-year college offers two associate degrees and seven bachelor’s programs to more than 200 students each semester. Its 150-acre wooded campus provides a faith-based, personalized education experience — and in recent years, its reputation has only grown stronger.
CRC has recorded enrollment highs for the past five years, with Spring 2025 setting a new record and Fall 2025 projected to follow suit. But as academic offerings and student numbers increase, so does the need for updated infrastructure — starting with a long-overlooked problem.
A Lingering Wastewater Violation
When Dr. Richard Johnson became president in January 2020, he brought a vision to expand CRC’s academic partnerships and build a new science facility to support programs with Harding University and Freed-Hardeman University. But those plans hit a snag.
“Our wastewater permit had quietly fallen out of compliance,” Dr. Johnson said. “The staff member who handled it retired, and the responsibility didn’t transfer. We found out our lagoon hadn’t been inspected or certified since 2007.”
CRC had long discharged wastewater into a two- to three-acre on-site lagoon shared with a nearby church. For decades, it functioned with only routine inspections. But the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) eventually voided the college’s permit and decommissioned the pond, placing CRC under an enforcement order — even as the college continued using the outdated system.
“We wanted to be proactive,” Dr. Johnson said. “We were transparent with the state and committed to fixing it, but we had to act fast.”
The Fix: Connecting to the City System
To meet ADEQ requirements and support long-term growth, CRC began working with engineers and local officials to design a new wastewater collection system connecting to Paragould Municipal Utilities (PMU).
The $932,747 project includes new underground sewer lines, multiple lift stations, and a 6-inch force main to discharge wastewater into the city’s system. The upgrade will bring CRC into full compliance while supporting campus expansion for years to come.
CRC hired Fisher & Arnold of Jonesboro to design the system and worked closely with both the City of Paragould and the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC) to secure funding. While ANRC could provide a mix of grant and loan funds, CRC needed interim financing to cover upfront costs.
CU Steps in With Bridge Loan Support
The college connected with Communities Unlimited (CU) through the office of U.S. Congressman Rick Crawford, who represents Arkansas’s First Congressional District, which includes Paragould. A campus visit led to conversations with CU’s Central Region Area Director Brad Jarrett from the Community Infrastructure Team and Senior Economic Development Loan Officer Chris Ranniger from the Lending Team. Together, they developed a financial strategy in partnership with the city.
CU provided a $575,000 bridge loan from its Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) funds to help CRC pay immediate invoices and retire a short-term loan that had jumpstarted the project.
“It was a pleasure working with Crowley’s Ridge College on securing funding for their wastewater project,” Ranniger said. “Working with Dr. Johnson was especially rewarding. His leadership and commitment to the college and community made the entire process go smoothly. I look forward to seeing the positive impact this project makes for the college.”
“We were glad to step in and provide a bridge loan to keep CRC’s momentum going,” Jarrett added. “Resolving their wastewater issue not only brings the college into compliance with ADEQ, but also paves the way for future growth on campus.”
CU is also supporting CRC in expediting the ANRC funding process. If that funding comes through on schedule, it will fully repay the bridge loan. If not, CRC plans to seek an additional $368,824 from CU later this year to finish the project.
Electrical connections to the new lift stations are currently underway, with the system expected to go live soon. Once operational, CRC will decommission and backfill its old lagoon system later this year. Dr. Johnson said CU’s involvement came at just the right moment.
“CU gave us the financial breathing room we needed to keep construction on track,” Dr. Johnson said. “The system had to go in quickly so we could move forward with a new building going in on campus. CU’s temporary loan is bridging the gap while we await funding from the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission.”
Infrastructure Upgrade Fuels Growth
The new wastewater infrastructure marks a milestone for CRC. By connecting every current and future campus building directly to the City of Paragould’s municipal system, CRC is no longer reliant on an outdated, noncompliant treatment pond.
This shift ensures the college can meet modern environmental standards, avoid future violations, and operate with confidence as it grows. More importantly, it opens the door for long-term planning and development — including a new $3.5 million science building and other campus upgrades that were previously on hold due to infrastructure limitations.
“It’s foundational,” Dr. Johnson added. “Without basic infrastructure, we can’t expand.”
CRC’s growth defies national trends. While many small colleges are closing, CRC was recently ranked third in enrollment growth at 7.4% among four-year colleges in the Natural State, according to Arkansas Business Online. Tuition is set to increase this fall, and donations are on the rise.
“We’re bucking the trend,” said Johnson, who wrote his dissertation on reversing decline in small Christian colleges. “We’re growing. We’ve built a strong admissions team, and our faculty is recruiting across the state and beyond. It’s working.”
A Trusted Partner for the Journey
Whether or not ANRC funding closes as planned, CRC feels secure with CU at its side.
“I have to give Communities Unlimited a big thank you. Their team is top-notch. They care about the communities they serve and are always ready to help. Any question I’ve had, they’ve answered — or found the answer. You can’t ask for a better partner.”
— Dr. Richard Johnson, President of Crowley’s Ridge College
For a small college with big ambitions, a fast, reliable partner like CU has made all the difference — helping Crowley’s Ridge College resolve longstanding regulatory issues and move confidently into its next chapter of growth.
