Round Rock votes yes for ACC annexation

ACC Yes

Dr. Kinslow, center, celebrates election night with
ACCtion4Education organizers Glen Colby, left,
and Raymond Hartfield.

Round Rock Independent School District voters gave a resounding yes into the Austin Community College District during elections held Saturday, May 10.

“Joining the ACC District is confirmation of the voters’ understanding of the critical role local access to affordable, comprehensive higher education and training plays in the economic development of Round Rock and Central Texas,” says Dr. Stephen Kinslow, president and CEO of the ACC District.

Sixty-four percent of voters in the Round Rock ISD voted yes – 3,195 to 1,761.

“ACC is pleased to have all residents of the Round Rock ISD included as in-district residents and we look forward to moving quickly on the construction of a new, comprehensive Round Rock campus,” he adds.

The Round Rock campus will be a full-service campus, offering health career programs including nursing; arts and sciences degrees and certificates, university transfer core curriculum, continuing and adult education, student services, and day, evening, and weekend classes.

“ACC is excited to bring nursing, allied health, and other high-demand career programs to the Round Rock community,” says John Hernandez, chair of the ACC Board of Trustees. “ACC is also grateful for the leadership efforts of the local ACCtion4Education steering committee, especially to co-chairs Raymond Hartfield and Glen Colby.”

The new campus will eventually be ACC’s largest, serving 10,000 plus students. ACC already has laid the foundation to build the new campus. Through purchase and donation, the college has acquired 60 acres of land along University Boulevard and County Road 112. Plans call for the new campus to open in the fall of 2010.

As a result of the election, all residents within the Round Rock ISD boundaries are immediately eligible for in-district tuition. Students who have already registered and paid for summer classes will receive a reimbursement for the difference between the out-of-district rate and the in-district rate – a tuition reduction of over 65 percent. As soon as the election is certified, the ACC admissions office will begin processing those refunds.

In the Board of Trustees elections, Tim Mahoney will replace outgoing trustee Lillian Davis Patrick for Place 1. Mahoney was declared the winner after his opponent Harrison Keller announced his withdrawal May 15 from a run-off election. (See Keller withdraws from ACC trustee run-off election)

For the other ACC Board of Trustee seats, Trustee Nan McRaven was re-elected to Place 3 in an unopposed race. Also in unopposed races, John-Michael Cortez replaces John Hernandez for Place 2 and Raul Alvarez replaces Rafael Quintanilla for place 4 on the board.

“I would like to thank Lillian Davis, John Hernandez and Rafael Quintanilla for their hard work and dedication while serving on the ACC Board of Trustees,” says Kinslow. “I wish them best of luck in their future endeavors.”

New trustees Mahoney, Cortez, and Alvarez will be sworn into office and begin serving during the Board of Trustees meeting scheduled for June 2.

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