After considering multiple potential dates, the Austin Community College District Board of Trustees has expressed its intent to call a general obligation (GO) bond election in November 2014. The bond election would fund a variety of capital improvements – with possible projects including the build out of ACC Highland (Highland Mall), renovations to aging campuses, improvements to address campus capacity issues, and new campus construction to meet the region’s growing needs.

The proposed timeline provides an opportunity for due diligence in a variety of areas, including the development of a detailed master plan for ACC Highland (Highland Mall), the full integration of the new Academic Master Plan into college operations, and a thorough study of the work of the Bond Program Advisory Committee – a 25-member group of representatives from the community and the college. The committee presented its recommendations, reflecting its view of the college’s most urgent facilities needs, earlier this summer.

November 2014 will be a general election, ensuring a larger voter turnout to weigh in on the proposed bond. The timeline also allows ACC time to engage the community in understanding the college’s role in a bond election as well as the vision for the future.

Voters in the ACC District are eligible to vote in a college election. The ACC District includes the Austin, Leander, Manor, Del Valle, Round Rock, Elgin, and Hays school districts as well as the City of Austin. If voters authorize trustees to sell bonds, the cost would be shared by property owners across the ACC District.