by SEAN KIMMONS
KINSLOW
Even if Austin Community College passes on Kyle as the location for its next campus, city leaders say they still want to see ACC somewhere in the Hays school district. Kyle councilmembers unanimously passed a resolution last week in favor of joining the ACC taxing district.
ACC President Stephen Kinslow told the council that a campus location is slated to be revealed in March. Voters living within Hays CISD will then have the opportunity to approve joining the college taxing district in the Nov. 2 elections.
If the annexation passes, residents will pay an additional tax of 9.5 cents per $100 of property evaluated. In return, residents can take advantage of in-district rates at $39 per credit hour, compared to $137 for out-of-district.
Kinslow told councilmembers the ACC tax rate is much lower than the 15-cent average among other community colleges in Texas and touted the economic benefits the campus would bring to the area.
More than 41 percent of Hays CISD student population, about 5,393 students, were classified as economically disadvantaged in the 2007-2008 school year, the last year for which data is available, according to the Texas Education Agency.
“It’s a tremendous return on your investment,” Kinslow said.
Though Kyle is their first choice, councilmembers agreed to endorse a campus site in north Hays County.
“In any growing community like this one… this is an absolute necessity,” Councilmember David Wilson said of the campus’ future impact on job development.
ACC officials are seeking a 100-acre site with sufficient infrastructure, transportation and possible property donations, Kinslow said.
“Those all sound like attributes found in Kyle,” said City Manager Tom Mattis, trying to make Kyle the frontrunner. “Is there anything that a city can do to help you make that decision?”
Kinslow replied that they were in “pretty good shape” now.
ACC has seen rapid growth in recent years in newly annexed communities. In May 2004, the Del Valle ISD was annexed into the ACC district and enrollment grew from 98 to 205 in two years. In the Round Rock ISD, annexed in May 2008, enrollment jumped from 2,544 to 4,468 in two years.
During the fall 2009 semester, 874 students who lived in the Hays school district took courses at ACC. That number is expected to rise to 1,538 in two years if the area is annexed into ACC. ACC offers a small number of evening courses at Hays High School, while many other area residents take classes on-line or commute to campuses in south Austin.
“It’s not just the students who are currently going to ACC, it opens up education for others,” said Kyle Mayor Mike Gonzalez. “It provides extra support mechanisms for low-income families.”
Kinslow said that the college’s goal is to help students stay in local areas and obtain better paying jobs. Cities would then get more tax revenue from citizens with higher income and could lower its tax rates.
“We are very proud of the fact that many of the students we train also remain in the area,” he said.
Councilmember Lucy Johnson, who has taken ACC courses, said that she was excited about the prospect of a local campus.
“One of the great things about ACC is that its education is available to every age group,” she said. “Education is a proven way to decrease poverty, to increase family income and improve quality of life in the area.”
She stressed that the council should support Hays CISD getting a new ACC campus, not just Kyle.
“I’m absolutely for it coming here whether or not we get an ACC campus in Kyle,” she said.
Councilmember Michelle Lopez echoed similar sentiment and said that as a city representative, she has strong desires for a Kyle campus.
“We’re going to be happy wherever it goes,” she said. “[However] I really think this is the place where it should be.”
Mattis reinforced his opinion for a Kyle campus by reminding everyone that 515 of the 874 ACC students in Hays CISD live in Kyle.
“I advocate for the City of Kyle and I’ll continue to do so,” he said. “I’m confident that the board will come up with that decision anyways.”
The North Hays Steering Committee, a volunteer group tasked with garnering public support for an ACC campus, is in the process of gaining 2,000 signatures by April 2 needed for the annexation election.
The committee’s co-chairman Vince Collier said that the group has about 400 signatures thus far. He appreciates the council and other organizations helping his committee’s cause.
“It gives credence for the initiative,” he said.
A presentation was also given to the Buda City Council, which hasn’t passed a resolution supporting a new campus yet, he said.
If the annexation fails, ACC officials say they will still purchase local property in a “land-banking” move, and make another bid for voter approval a few years down the line.
If voters approve joining the district, Collier foresees the campus being built by 2013 or 2014. Another ACC campus in San Marcos could also be in the works. San Marcos area voters will decide on Nov. 2 whether or not to join the ACC district.
The San Marcos initiative is just getting fired up,” Collier said.
