Passing a community college bond measure requires a significant amount of groundwork—a to-do list encompassing coalition building, strategic planning and public outreach. Once the bond is approved, stewardship and transparency become watchwords for projects that may not be finished for years.
In 2022, central Texas residents overwhelmingly passed a $770 million bond to expand programs and facilities at Austin Community College (ACC). About 70% of voters supported the measure to build out programming at 11 existing ACC campuses, along with two new campus sites in southeast and southwest Travis County.
This article comes from the August/September issue of the Community College Journal, published by the American Association of Community Colleges since 1930.
ACC banked community trust in 2014 with the passage of $386 million in bond proposals for campus improvements, notes Vice Chancellor of Community and Public Affairs Chris Cervini. These ballot measures centered on infrastructure needs such as new instructional buildings and training facilities, as well as renovations to current buildings.
Accommodating emerging workforce needs
About 80%-85% of the new bond is workforce-focused, due to rising demand for advanced manufacturing talent from regional employers Tesla and Samsung Semiconductor. Courses in this curriculum will include electronics, production processes, and hands-on computer-aided design. The bond will further fund training in healthcare and information technology, alongside skilled trades such as welding and automotive technology.
Although construction from the 2014 bond wrapped during the pandemic, ACC recognized additional growth areas that the older measure had not addressed, says Cervini.
“In 2014, we didn’t anticipate the impact of advanced manufacturing, even with the arrival of the Tesla facility, plus massive increases (in semiconductor production) through the CHIPS Act,” Cervini says. “These were on our radar, but they weren’t centralized like they are now. So, we had to figure out how to build spaces to accommodate this emerging workforce need.”
In a post-pandemic learning environment, ACC required more hybrid classroom space to facilitate both online and face-to-face instruction. The legacy of trust established in 2014 influenced voters already plugged into the local educational and economic ecosystem, says Cervini.
“The college has been good stewards of public dollars, so no convincing was needed,” he says. “We wanted to build what we said we could (in 2014) before going back to voters. It was promises made, promises kept. Here’s a new set of needs, and the community was very understanding of that.”
ACC’s 2022 measure is already bearing fruit, Cervini adds. Planning for the first wave of projects—including expansion of advanced manufacturing capacity at its Round Rock Campus and dental hygiene training space in east Austin—is well underway.
Meanwhile, architectural and engineering teams are being selected for various campus expansions, with updates posted on the ACC website. Administrators have targeted 2030 as a completion date for all projects—regional committees appointed by the chancellor and college board are continually providing public feedback.
In addition, the college takes questions from companies and neighborhood associations eager for more training capacity in high-demand fields.
“These projects are being built with the community voice in mind,” says Cervini. “Stakeholders want to know how quickly we can get things going. That’s the biggest question on our plate. We’ve got this great opportunity to make investments, but we need to make the right investments at the right time. What we’re hearing the most is, ‘Let’s get a move on,’ and we are with the community on that.”
Keeping the community in mind
Columbus State Community College (Ohio) passed a $300 million bond in April 2020, providing dollars for infrastructure improvements and new facility construction. For example, an 80,000-square-foot academic building developed in collaboration with not-for-profit healthcare system OhioHealth is expected to double the enrollment in nursing, surgical technology and medical imaging.
Roof replacements, elevator upgrades and classroom refurbishments are either completed or in process, while initiatives like a $15 million automotive technology program expansion could serve as talent attractors for burgeoning local industries, says Columbus State President David Harrison. Future investment is anticipated to support engineering technology programs aligned with advanced manufacturing sectors.
Pandemic shutdowns delayed the initial bond vote from mid-March 2020 until early May of that year. Success at the polls reflected the college’s mission of delivering an affordable, accessible education to a broad range of learners, says Harrison.
“The bond was not all about fancy new buildings. Much of it was about HVAC systems, or ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessibility,” Harrison says. “We were fortunate to have great support from decades of graduates and other people who have benefitted from Columbus State.”
Nearly 60% of voters supported the issue, according to the Franklin County board of elections. In the years since, college officials have shared development details through individual project announcements, stakeholder meetings and community impact reports.
