Texas Legislature approves funding for higher education center

Texas Legislature approves funding for higher education center

By Beth Wade Friday, 12 June 2009

The Texas Senate passed a bill May 25 that would solidify funding for construction of the first East Williamson County Higher Education Center campus building in Taylor.

The multiple institution teaching center was expected to open this fall, but construction was delayed after the bonds received no bidders last year, said John Nelson, Temple College at Taylor Foundation board member.

“The reason was — the economic conditions weren’t very good at all,” Nelson said. “The bond market kind of collapsed, but in addition to that, the banks were concerned that some of these financial partners had to do what is called ‘annual appropriation.’”

Nelson, who has been working on the project since its inception two years ago, said it was difficult for banks to lend the money needed because some contributors would have to approve their payments annually, which left the banks with little security.

EWCHEC has $550,000 in annual pledged contributions for 20 years, to pay for the approximately $7.5 million building, from five separate sources, including the City of Taylor, Taylor Economic Development Corporation, Taylor ISD, Temple College at Taylor Foundation and Texas State Technical College.

House Bill 2805, introduced this year by state Rep. Diana Maldonado, D-Round Rock, would require those partners to regularly appropriate those funds annually.

“EWCHEC is about providing quality education. It’s about having access to education. It’s about having affordable education as students transition to college,” Maldonado said. “The affordability of going to a major college or university is so daunting. Through this legislation, we will provide a road to success for students and families that are taking that first step of going into higher education or even being successful in high school.”

Along with securing the annual appropriations, the bill also allows some partners to act as secondary securers.

“We allowed the other entities to guarantee each other’s payments,” Nelson said. “Let’s say for some reason the banks wanted more security. [The bill] would allow the city to maybe make up the payment for the EDC or vice versa if for any reason any of those financial partners were not able to make their payment in any particular year.”

After passing the senate, the bill will be brought to the governor’s office to be signed into law. If the bill is left unsigned by the governor, it will become law by the end of June, said Thomas Martinez, president of the Temple College at Taylor Foundation board.

Once the bill becomes law, it could be August before the bonds are issued. Following that timeline, construction could begin and be completed by November 2010 for a spring 2010 opening, he said.

EWCHEC’s history

The idea for EWCHEC began with Temple College at Taylor, which is the center’s primary partner, Nelson said.

“EWCHEC is really an outgrowth of Temple College at Taylor,” he said. “TCAT started in 1996. At that time we acquired an old vacant building that was 30,000 sq. ft. The Temple College at Taylor Foundation and Temple College realized that what we were offering wasn’t satisfying all of the needs that were in the area. So Temple College invited Texas State Technical College to come in and begin offering technical courses in this area.”

The legislature approved HB 2074 in spring 2007, creating EWCHEC; however, the bill created no funding mechanism for the center.

In March, the TCAT building at 516 N. Main St. was renamed EWCHEC.

Plans for EWCHEC’s campus include a 24,900 sq. ft. building at the intersection of FM 973 and Carlos Parker Boulevard on the south side of Taylor. The building could house a library, bookstore, administrative offices and classrooms.

The second phase could include a building for Texas State Technical College, Martinez said. A timeline and funding for the second phase have not been determined.

The campus would be located next to land purchased by the Taylor school district for its new high school facility.

Educational partners

The East Williamson County Higher Education Center is a collaboration of Temple College at Taylor, Texas State Technical College, Texas Tech University, and Hutto and Taylor independent school districts.

Students are enrolled at one of the partner schools and may attend classes at the EWCHEC campus. EWCHEC is the umbrella institution that houses the other schools and helps them work together, said Chuck McCarter, EWCHEC executive director.

Students can attend Temple College classes at the Main Street building at 516 N. Main St., and high school students can also take advantage of free automotive mechanic classes at Taylor or Hutto high schools. Students in ninth through 12th grade can also participate in the Legacy Early College High School program that allows student to earn up to 60 college credit hours during all four years of high school.

At the RETI

State Rep. Diana Maldonado, D-Round Rock, the Taylor Economic Development Corporation and the East Williamson County Higher Education Center have established a Renewable Energy Training Institute. The $805,000 for the institute was included in the budget appropriations bill, Senate Bill 1, approved by legislators in May. At press time, the bill was awaiting the governor’s signature.

The money could be used for training in solar and wind energy manufacturing and installation programs and other renewable-energy or green-collar job training programs, TEDC president Jason Ford said.

U.S. Rep. John Carter initiated the plan.