TCC: $16 million for new Learning Center in Owasso

[T-Town Now]

TCC seeking bonds, tax hike

According to the Tulsa Whirled:

Tulsa Community College is asking the average Tulsa County home-owner to pay about $50 more a year to back a $76 million capital bond issue and finance a property tax increase of 1.7 mills.

The two requests will go before voters May 13.

"This is really about growth of the college," President Tom McKeon said.

Academic programs have waiting lists, the college needs more professors, and it needs more money for operations, he said. The extra income would go toward associate-degree programs that prepare students to immediately enter the work force.

TCC wants to accommodate a student body that has grown 18 percent in the past nine years and expand programs that prepare students for in-demand professions, such as health care, McKeon said.

Bond issue: The college last requested a bond issue in 1999, for $18.3 million to be paid off over five years. A 10-year, $11 million bond issue was approved in 1989. The newly proposed bonds would be paid off in seven years.

The bond revenue would provide money for construction projects on all four TCC campuses and would pay $16 million for a new "learning center" in Owasso.

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I wonder how much support there will be for this among city of Tulsa residents. They didn't want to pay for our river, why should we pay for their college? $50 a year is a lot more than the river tax would have been.

[Townsend]

I'm all for the expansion but part of me does want them to kiss my noun.  Use the money to build attractive structures and parks on all the parking lots they created downtown around Metro campus first then maybe work on the others.

[sgrizzle]

Add parking garages for metro and I'll give you $50. If BA and Jenks are served by SE campus, why can't owasso be served by NE campus?

[Composer]

If Owasso wants higher ed, they can raise taxes in their city without it being in the whole area.   That is what Broken Arrow did when they wanted NSU.  They raised nearly $26 Million for Phase I (3 buildings).

[TheArtist]

I went to high school in Owasso back in the mid 80s. I went to Tulsa Tech for "drafting design technology and engineering" during my senior year. It sucked having to take the bus all the way into Tulsa every day. But, I think its a positive to have students able to experience local colleges or tech institutions. It can encourage them to keep going after high school. To remain at that local school versus moving to another city or state. I ended up going to TCC in Tulsa, then to "UCAT" now OSU Tulsa. So getting those students in Owasso to go to TCC there will likely lead more of them to TCC in Tulsa and then to transition to graduate colleges in Tulsa as well.

Or they could still do like a lot of my peers did. Go to Stillwater right out of high school, snob down their friends who went to TCC lol, party, make bad grades, waste money, drop out, then end up back at square one at TCC a few years later.[]

[sgrizzle]

There is still a limit that I will pay so you can live 30 minutes from civilization. $50 is beyond that limit.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by twizzler

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

There is still a limit that I will pay so you can live 30 minutes from civilization. $50 is beyond that limit.

79% of that $50 would go to projects at the other TCC campuses.

One of those projects (the one downtown) was allegedly already paid for.

Again, I like TCC, but they need to spread it out or trim it down. $50 a year is too high.

[swake]

If TCC would drop their objection to lower division classes being offered by OSU and OU then they wouldn't need any more space. And they have leveled the southern side of downtown for surface parking. They are a poor public citizen to Tulsa.

We don't need TCC planning for growth, we need OSU Tulsa planning for growth.

[TheArtist]

quote:Originally posted by swake

If TCC would drop their objection to lower division classes being offered by OSU and OU then they wouldn't need any more space. And they have leveled the southern side of downtown for surface parking. They are a poor public citizen to Tulsa.

We don't need TCC planning for growth, we need OSU Tulsa planning for growth.

OU and OSU Tulsa, and TU for that matter, need to worry about adding more 4 year and graduate classes and programs. They dont even offer enough for the TCC graduates to transfer into as it is.  And as TCC continues to expand their enrollments there will be an even greater call for more local 4 year and graduate programs. If OU and OSU Tulsa were bursting at the seams with abundant 4year and graduate programs available for the students... then your argument would make sense.  They cant even keep up with the 4 year and graduate programs, they sure dont need to be spending money and effort on something else. If anything I would like to pay double and get some 4 year and graduate classes at OU and OSU Tulsa as well. Lord knows the bigwigs at the State Capital arent in any hurry to expand Tulsas universities.