Voters in Cass County soundly rejected Texarkana College's proposed annexation of their service portion of the county last November, cancelling the school's plan to expand higher education in the county.
TC's ballot proposal asked for $ .110718 per $100 assessed property valuation tax for residents in their service portion of the county, which includes the Atlanta, Bloomburg, Linden-Kildare, McLeod and Queen City school districts. Dual credit opportunities for students in those districts would have been expanded, and all students attending TC would have been considered in-district. Tuition would have also been reduced by approximately $795 per semester.
The measure failed with 7,251 voting against and 1,965 in favor.
A workforce center was also planned in Atlanta to provide vocational classes in welding, cosmetology, nursing and truck driving.
Another part of TC's Strategic Plan includes aligning with the state's 60x30 plan, where at least 60 percent of Texas ages 25 to 34 to have higher education credentials by 2030. Offering the classes and extended dual credit courses would have helped further TC's efforts to further the plan in the region.
"We are concerned about the future," TC President James Henry Russell said during an unveiling ceremony at the proposed TC Cass County site. "Our No. 1 belief is that the most important thing we can do is raise the percent of our population with a higher-ed credential. That's going to bring a better life to anyone that gets that, and it's going to bring a better future to this whole community."
TC annexed Bowie County in 2012, which increased the service area from 16 square miles to 1,800. That vote gave $2.2 million annually to the school, a move which Russell has said saved the college. In August, trustees voted to increase that rate from $.105267 to $.110718. It was the first tax hike since the tax was levied, with administrators stating the funds were needed due to community college cuts at the state level. The public does not vote on community college tax increases, as once the tax is levied, the board can vote to raise it a small amount each year if they choose.
Currently, TC's rate is lower than that of area community colleges. Northeast Texas Community College's tax rate is $.13, Paris Junior College's rate is $.187, and Tyler Junior College sits at $.199.
Following the Nov. 8 vote, Russell said the Cass County voters had made their voices loud and clear at the polls.
"I think we saw just how reluctant the country is right now to consider the word 'tax,' regardless of the size or benefits it might bring," he said.
Russell said TC would continue to focus on the success it has had in bringing fiscal operations to a sound status, in addition to increased academic accomplishments and student graduation rates.
On election night, he also stated that TC's future in Cass would be an issue for the board of trustees to decide.
"Right now, I don't think it will be up for discussion," he said. "The will of the people in Cass County is very clear."