Taylor Chosen for EWCHEC
TEMPLE - East Williamson County Higher Education Center is coming to Taylor.

The first program is already located in the Taylor center of Temple College, but after a decision by the college's Board of Trustees Monday night, Taylor will spearhead the construction of a EWCHEC facility.

The 31,000 to 41,000-square-foot facility will be located at the intersection of FM 973 and US 79 Loop, according to a presentation by city officials to the board.

“This is going to have an immense impact on Taylor, the whole of Eastern Williamson County, for years and years to come,” Taylor City Councilman Rod Hortenstine said following the board's decision.

To fund phase one of the project, which includes the initial building and purchase of land, Taylor pledged the following:

With the help of $90,000 in fees from Temple College at Taylor, the TCAT foundation will purchase 70 acres of land, costing an estimated $560,000, from the Debus family.

The City of Taylor will provide utilities to the location.

Taylor will borrow $6.2 million for the land and construction of the initial building.

Community partners - the city, the school district, the economic development corporation, TCAT and Texas State Technical College - will contribute $500,000 annually to repay the debt.

The city will explore new funding sources for future buildings and expansions.

Classes in the new facility should begin by spring of 2009, said Temple College President Mark Nigliazzo.

“There is a strong feeling that we need to act,” Nigliazzo told the board Monday. “If we sit for two years ... I think there has been a fear that we will lose momentum. Everyone believes that to delay would cost us.”

The EWCHEC, which was formalized by the last legislative session, is more than two years in the making and a collaborative effort between both the Taylor and Hutto communities.

But with classes beginning for the Legacy Early College High School and new partnerships forming, such as the one with TSTC, the facility lacked a location, a building and a funding plan.

Hutto and Taylor presented proposals last spring to have the building located in their respective cities and school districts, but the Temple College board decided to hold off until the legislature had formalized the institution.

According to Hutto EDC Director Scott Martinez, the Hutto community could not submit a plan until at least February, when the school district could formalize a bond proposal.

Although Hutto fully supports EWCHEC, especially the school district, placing the facility in Taylor is “shortsighted,” Martinez said prior to the meeting.

“When most of the student growth and (most) of the students are going to be coming from Hutto potentially, it's pretty shortsighted,” he said. “I can't imagine a community college acting like a Fortune 500 company, pitting one community against another like they've done.”

Both districts, along with other schools in the region, will be able to send students to EWCHEC. In addition to Legacy High School, within the next year or so programs for biotechnology maintenance, nursing and baccalaureate classes for high school students may be available.

“There is no doubt that this is an extremely important day for East Williamson County,” said Jack Jones Jr., chair of the Temple College board. “The impact on Taylor and Hutto could be incredible.”