Texarkana College trustees approve annexation

By Bobby Horn Jr.
news@casscountynow.com

The move toward adding parts of Cass County to the Texarkana College taxing district passed over a hurdle last week.
Texarkana College President James Henry Russell said that the trustees, who met May 23, approved their two-year strategic plan. The plan also laid out the college’s four top priorities.
Topping that list is “Annexing TC’s service area in Cass County in November 2016.” The college set a November date since the plan will ultimately have to be approved by Cass County voters in a general election.
Other priorities are “boosting enrollment to 8,500 for 2017-2018 academic year, achieving a student loan default rate of less than 30 percent and “reaching $10 million in TC Foundation assets by 2020 and growing the TC Alumni & Friends Network to 1,000 members by 2018.”
During a planning meeting held April 25, trustees discussed annexing parts of Cass County into the college’s taxing district. The areas under consideration include Atlanta, Queen City, Linden-Kildare, Bloomburg and McLeod. Avinger and Hughes Springs are currently served by Northeast Texas Community College.
“We have been meeting with (Cass County) school districts and businesses and community leaders for the past two or three years and exploring the possibility of annexation and we think it would be a good fit,” Russell said.
The next hurdle that must be overcome will be June 20 when trustees are expected to take up the annexation issue as part of a larger service plan.
If a service plan is approved that includes annexation, then the issue would go to county voters as part of the November General Election ballot.
If Cass County residents were to approve the annex, property owners would see an additional line item on their bill. Currently the property tax rate for Texarkana College is $.10526.
However, students living in the new annex zone would no longer be required to pay out-of-district rates and fees for tuition. Fall 2016 tuition for three credit hours for an in-district student is $147. With an additional $155 added in mandatory fees, the rate goes up to $302.
A student taking 12 hours can expect to pay $588 for tuition plus $470 in fees for a total of $1,058. However, students living outside the college’s tax district (Cass County residents) would now pay $150 for three credit hours, plus $155 in fees and a $156 out of district fee for a total of $461.Tuition and fees for the Fall Semester for 12 hours for out-of-district students is $1,694 between tuition and fees.
”Our goal is to drop fees for students and bring higher education opportunities to Cass County,” Russell added.
In addition to lower student tuition, Russell said the college would likely expand the classroom space and course options available in Cass County.
“We would like to see more welding classes and other workforce training added there,” he said.