East Williamson County Higher Education Center
The East Williamson County (EWC) Higher Education Center will be one step closer to reality when Temple College’s S. Chuck McCarter, Executive Director of the EWC project, and his staff begin work full time in East Williamson County on September 1, 2006. The establishment of this office was made possible through a two-year interlocal agreement among Temple College, Hutto and Taylor Economic Development Corporations, and the Hutto and Taylor Independent School Districts. This interlocal agreement provided funds needed for the establishment of this office and support staff.

The vision for the EWC Higher Education Center will be to provide cutting edge advanced manufacturing and healthcare technology training. Part of the goal for the Center is to create quick and flexibly response to employer needs. An additional goal of the Center is to create strategic partnerships with area school districts, the Texas Bioscience Institute, Temple College, a state technical college, and various major universities. The Center’s collaborative technology training model will allow it to leverage the strengths and successes of member partners while providing it the autonomy that is required to build a truly unique regional educational center for the 21st century.

The Center will be a multiple institution campus located between Taylor and Hutto designed to meet the academic and workforce needs of all East Williamson County residents. Memoranda of Agreement are currently being created that will bring not only academic and technical colleges to the campus but possibly two universities as well.

Accomplishments to date include the acquiring of Early College High School and Middle College High School designations from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. These designations are important because they will allow academically qualified students to begin taking college courses as early as the 9th and 10th grade. These designations will provide students with a strong academic foundation and technical expertise, foster success in college health sciences, biotechnology, and engineering programs, and ensure high standards and challenging opportunities through the integration of theory and practice.

Additionally, Taylor Independent School District, EWC Higher Education Center, Austin ISD, and Region XIII Education Service Center (ESC) Educator Certification Program (ECP) announced that they have received a grant to fill a critical need for secondary math and science teachers to teach in specific redesigned high needs high schools. Dr. Bruce Scott, Superintendent of Taylor ISD, said “we were chosen for participation in this grant because of our partnership and involvement with the EWC Higher Education Center.”

Dr. McCarter explained that a grant application has also been submitted to the Texas Education Agency for the establishment of funding for an Early College High School which will be a part of the East Williamson County Higher Education Center campus. McCarter states, “This grant proposal was made possible through the hard work and collaboration of the EWC Higher Education Center’s primary partners, Dr. David Borrer and Dr. Bruce Scott, Superintendents of Hutto and Taylor ISD, respectively. Both are exceptional leaders and innovators in education and fully understand the value of college and workforce readiness. If this grant is successful, the children of East Williamson County will have an exceptional opportunity to acquire college credits while they are still in high school. Our other primary partners are the Hutto and Taylor Economic Development Corporations. Under the leadership of Mr. Polo Enriquez and Mr. John Nelson, these economic entities realize that education and economic development go hand-in-hand for the sake and welfare of any viable community.”

From an economic development point of view, McCarter points to recent research that commissioned the development of a financial analysis model for calculating the “ROI”—return on investment—for early college high schools. The research indicates that young people who attend early college high schools recognize significant advantages in terms of savings on college tuition. Also they recognize increased lifetime earnings compared to students who graduate with a traditional high school diploma. In addition, the study indicates that states reap returns on their financial investments in these schools in terms of higher educational attainment for young people, increased earnings, and a longer working life for graduates — hence increased future tax revenues.

In addition, Economic Developers believe that new companies choose an area for expansion or relocation based on the quality of the local workforce. The EWC Higher Education Center will provide the workforce needed for this area’s future growth.

“This is the future of education,” McCarter says and East Williamson County and its leadership are well prepared to meet the future with the establishment of the East Williamson County Higher Education Center. For more information as to how you can get involved, please call Dr. McCarter at 512-365-2787