According to the complete but unofficial election results.
In exchange for a property tax rate of $0.1012 per $100 assessment, residents of the Lockhart School District will officially become part of the Riverbat community, with access to all educational resources, including taking advantage of ACC’s Free Tuition Pilot Program . Once the election is approved, the board will launch after-school classes in January that are tailored to Lockhart’s school district workforce and educational needs.
“This vote signifies the growing economic power of Central Texas nationally and internationally,” Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart told the American Statesman in an interview. “If Lockhart and ACC lock arms, our influence and importance together will only increase.”
Before January, ACC will meet with Lockhart school officials, local businesses and elected officials to discuss workforce and education needs and move forward with selecting a permanent space in the community. Lowery-Hart said the three-pronged plan gives the council flexibility and time to determine how best to design a permanent facility.
In phase one, ACC will also partner with the Lockhart School District to help develop an Early College High School dual credit program. In Phase 2, ACC will open a 15,000 to 20,000 square foot facility near Lockhart High School, with the hope that in Phase 3, ACC will build a permanent facility tailored to Lockhart’s future workforce needs, with input from local, economic and educational leaders.
Nick Metzler, chairman of the Greater Lockhart for ACC PAC, which secured a vote for approval and a service plan after years of advocacy, said annexation into ACC’s tax district will provide the necessary accessible and affordable education infrastructure to support the growing employment opportunities in the region support, including construction, crafts and healthcare. It will also help attract more businesses to Lockhart, increasing the city’s economic strength, he said.
“This partnership between Lockhart and ACC is a forward-thinking strategy that strengthens the community by increasing access to education while promoting long-term economic resilience,” Metzler said in a written statement. “It sets the stage for a more prosperous and connected future for Lockhart and the greater Central Texas region.”
Before Tuesday’s annexation vote, Lockhart was in the ACC service area, along with 18 other school districts, which covers 7,000 square miles and also offers educational opportunities but with additional tuition costs.
Area districts pay $85 per credit hour without the $201 out-of-district fee, have greater access to ACC programs, vote for ACC board members, and have access to ACC’s free tuition pilot, which is currently available to recent high school graduates. The Austin, Del Valle, Elgin, Hays, Leander, Manor and Round Rock school districts are also in ACC’s district, as are parts of the Eanes and Pflugerville districts.
The ACC’s last annexation vote — in Pflugerville — failed in 2018. The last approved annexation vote before that passed in 2010.
Under the annexation plan approved by the university’s board of trustees in May, ACC would begin offering employee training in the evenings on Lockhart school district property starting in January. Lowery-Hart said starting those conversations and finding a space is a top priority for officials right now.
Nicole Stephens, the vice president of the pro-annexation PAC who has lived in Lockhart for more than a decade, said residents currently have to travel out of town to access post-secondary options or access them online, which for many is a barrier. pupils. Now that this vote has passed, she looks at her two children under the age of ten and feels so proud and hopeful about the opportunities ACC will provide them in their hometown.
“Their future and where this is going, in terms of the phased approach that has been proposed and discussed for so long, is very real for them in the coming years,” she said. “We are so excited.”
Stephens said she woke up Wednesday to text messages from community members asking, “How soon?” or others say they are already registered with ACC and can’t wait to expand their education. The plan and vote, she said, give Lockhart “tangible” opportunities to advance his career.
“This is just the beginning,” she said. “We have so much we want to bring in and share.”
Lowery-Hart said Lockhart is a proactive and thoughtful community that he is happy to welcome to the university’s district. It is a place where he feels ‘at home’.
“I fell in love with the Lockhart community when I got to know them through this process,” Lowery-Hart said. “How connected they are to each other, how deeply committed they are to making sure everyone has a path to success, and (I’m) very grateful to continue to build this relationship.”
The Lockhart Economic Development Corporation will work with ACC in developing a physical presence in the city, Steve Lewis, president of the development corporation, told the Statesman in a statement shared by a city spokesperson. He added that the annexation fits into the company’s strategic plan to expand vocational training, and that the partnership will meet that “vital” need.
“The annexation comes at a crucial time as Lockhart begins to experience rapid growth,” Lewis said. “Now the real work begins.”
ACC trustee races
Sherri Lynn Taylor secured the 7th spot on the ACC Board of Trustees, a position left vacant by Barbara Mink, one of the district’s founders and current board chair, who retired after 24 years on the board , according to the unofficial vote. is the result of eligible parts of the six provinces electing the general offices.
Taylor emerged victorious with 57.55% of the vote against ACC alum Cole Wilson, who has been campaigning since January and has received support from the Travis County Democratic Party, multiple council members and senators. Taylor does not have a searchable campaign website or campaign email.
In the race for 9th place, incumbent Julie Ann Nitsch, an ACC alum who has served on the board since 2016 and has pushed for holistic support and resources for students, came in handily ahead of challenger Joseph Sefton, the ACC’s recently retired Chief Information Officer . ran on a platform to add a greater technology-focused perspective to governance. According to the unofficial results, Nitsch received 70.6% of the votes.
“I am beyond thrilled to have such overwhelming support from the community,” Nitsch said. “I think it’s a vote of confidence in what we’ve done.”
For her next term, she hopes to put childcare on every campus, expand Capital Metro’s transportation resources between campuses and expand the free-tuition pilot program to all students, which she said could be done in the next six years.
Incumbent Place 8 board member Stephanie Gharakhanian, an attorney who has held the seat since 2018, was unopposed.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Lockhart ISD voters join Austin Community College district
