Allen voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to approve a $600 million Collin College bond that would fund workforce and academic expansions at the Technical Campus in Allen and eight other sites across the county.
The Collin College Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Aug. 7 to place Proposition A on the general election ballot, according to a college press release. The measure would authorize borrowing for expansions at six existing campuses and three new facilities.
The college projects no tax rate increase for property owners.
The Allen Technical Campus is one of six existing locations that would receive funding for workforce and academic expansions. The other five are the McKinney Campus, Frisco Campus, Wylie Campus, Farmersville Campus and the Courtyard Center in Plano. The bond would also fund an Aviation Academy in McKinney and new campuses in Anna and Royse City.
"The Board of Trustees has always believed in planning for the future while honoring the commitments we've made to our community," Board Chair Jay Saad said at the Aug. 7 meeting. "The projects completed through our previous bond program have strengthened the economic impact of our region, while providing accessible and affordable pathways for our students."
The no-tax-rate-increase projection is qualified. The college's release states it is "based on current financial projections" but does not specify what tax rate or assessed-value assumptions underlie that estimate.
The bond package is the next step in Destination 2030, the college's long-range master plan. Credit enrollment has grown more than 31% over the past decade, and the college expects that pace to continue. Collin College serves more than 62,000 credit and continuing education students annually across more than 200 degree and certificate programs.
Proposition A will appear on the same Nov. 3 ballot as a separate $817.5 million Collin County bond, which county commissioners approved Aug. 10. Allen Record covered that measure Aug. 15.
How to vote
The last day to register is Oct. 5. Early voting runs Monday, Oct. 19 through Friday, Oct. 30, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters can verify registration or get information by contacting the Collin County Elections Department at 972-424-1460 or visiting www.collincountytx.gov/elections.
