Cass County residents opposed to Texarkana College's plans to expand services into their county know what they don't want. They don't want any new taxes.
What is less clear is what they do want.
It's easy to oppose new taxes.
It's a tougher to create a path to a brighter future.
Cass County is in a tough spot. Hugging the south edge of Bowie County, there isn't a town in it big enough to host a college or community college. Not Atlanta. Not Queen City. Not Linden. Even if you could make a case for it-which would be a stretch-in these days of shrinking state education dollars, it's not going to happen.
As a result, high school graduates there have no locally-provided options for continuing their education. And a lot of them don't.
Statistics show us that students in Cass County have a terrific graduation rate, but a terrible record of college attendance. Less than 20 percent of residents there 25 years or older have earned an associate degree or higher. In Texas, a third of the population in this age group have achieved as much. In the U.S. the percentage is closer to 40.
Maybe that was good enough in the past, but that's not going to be good enough in the days ahead. Employers demand more. Cass County needs to invest in itself.
Texarkana College wants to add Cass County to its tax base, which includes all of Bowie County. In doing so it has promised not only to give them in-district tuition, which would save a student $3,000 over four semesters, but also create a vocational education site in Cass County, tailored to the specific needs of the region. Much of this money is going to get plowed back into Cass County. In several places, there is a likelihood the college will return more benefits than it receives in taxes.
This should cost most taxpayers there $10 or less a month. Not chicken feed, but not dinner at country club, either. Taxes like these get absorbed with a grunt and a sigh by most folks, if they believe in the cause. Texarkana College has no history of being aggressive in increasing tax rates.
Still, there has been push back, as you might expect. Some of it organized.
Some of the opposition in Cass County is coming from those who have larger property holdings and thus will see a larger tax bill. The proportion is the same for everyone, but some own more and will pay more.
But this is not simply a big guy, little guy debate. One of the biggest investors in the county has noted the importance of TC's expansion plans should voters approve it. International Paper, the largest employer in Cass County, says the kind of tailor vocational training TC would plan there is needed.
"Skilled workers are the key to keeping International Paper's presence in Cass County strong and productive," said Mill Manager Matt Borbour a few days ago during the training site announcement. "Having TC's Industrial Maintenance/Multi-Craft program available in Cass County is exactly what IP needs."
No one in the county has more to lose taxwise than IP, yet its officials acknowledge the value this program will add to the county.
Nobody particularly likes taxes, but what are people in Cass County willing to do to secure a better future?
This isn't much a question for each household. It's a question for the community at large.
Commitment to education isn't built a household at a time, it takes a larger commitment, especially from those who may never see direct benefits. Communities set the education agenda, individuals don't.
Cass County residents need to look around and see if the status quo is good enough. They need to decide if they want to invest in changing it.
If education opens doors of opportunity, what is going to happen to Cass County if it just stands pat?
Rural America is drying up. Populations are leaving in ever increasing numbers. Cass County faces the same struggle.
The question therefore is simple. If you are a Cass County resident: What are you going to do to improve the odds?