LOCKHART, Texas — Voters living in the Lockhart ISD territory will decide whether to join the Austin Community College district in a vote this November.
On Tuesday, the ACC board of trustees unanimously approved calling for a special annexation election for the Lockhart ISD territory.
If Lockhart-area voters approve the measure in November, Lockhart ISD territory will join the ACC district, giving residents all the in-district benefits.
The benefits include free tuition for high school seniors, no "out-of-district" fee, and potentially the construction of a Lockhart campus. But those benefits come at a cost. If Lockhart is annexed, residents would begin paying property taxes to ACC.
The proposal is the result of a petition from voters interested in joining the ACC district.
"The Caldwell County and Lockhart community is … growing very rapidly, and they're attracting a lot of exciting employers. But with that attracting of employers, they need to have the skills training in place to develop the workers, to be able to take on those jobs ... and to enjoy that prosperity of that economic development," Dr. Chris Cervini, the vice chancellor of Community and Public Affairs for ACC, said in June. "So if you're somebody in Caldwell County, this is a pretty important conversation that you need to be having."
The current cost for Lockhart students outside of the district is $286 per credit hour, but the in-district price is $85. To put that in perspective, in-district students pay $5,100 for a two-year degree, but the same degree out-of-district costs more than $17,000.
"I absolutely think communities could benefit from expanded pipelines and access to higher education. And that's not just the higher education that you get in the classroom. As a community college, it means the workforce training, the welding courses, the skilled trades, the construction, education – all of those pieces – nursing. Those hands-on credentials that will help people get on a trajectory to more prosperity," Cervini said.
The service plan includes three phases of potential development:
- In Phase 1, ACC would work with Lockhart ISD to provide services on Lockhart ISD property during evenings and weekends. The college will offer expanded career and technical workforce opportunities and collaborate with the school district on the implementation of an Early College High School.
- In Phase 2, ACC would work with the local community to develop a 15,000-square-foot to 20,000-square-foot space near Lockhart High School.
- In Phase 3, ACC would purchase land and develop a permanent facility in the territory after consultation with the local community.
The last day to register to vote is Monday, Oct. 7. Early voting runs from Monday, Oct. 21, to Friday, Nov. 1. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.