Leroy Truax is a school dropout but he says it's not of his own choosing.

The 59-year-old Greenville man was eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance benefits and signed up to attend culinary school at Winner Institute of Arts & Sciences in Transfer. A 34-year veteran of Damascus-Bishop Tube Co., Truax lost his job when the plant closed in December.

While he was all set to begin learning a new profession, last month he was told by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry the program was mired in debt and lacked money to pay for his schooling or extend his unemployment benefits. The program extends workers' unemployment benefits while they are in school.

He called the school and told officials of his plight.

"They were very gracious and let me attend school for a month for free,'' Truax said. "But I had to quit after the month was over because my unemployment runs out in June. I have to spend all my time now looking for a job to support myself and my family. I can't take the chance and wait for the state.''