TCC Seeks To Build Fifth Campus
posted 6:51 am Thu February 28, 2008 - Owasso
reporter: Jerry Giordano
posted by: Kevin King
There may soon be another local option for students heading to college. Tulsa Community College is eyeing a parcel of land in Owasso for its fifth campus. But, there is a catch in higher taxes.
Voters countywide would have to approve a 76-million dollar bond issue, 16-million dollars of which would help fund the new TCC campus. Additional bond revenue would also fund construction projects at all four current TCC campuses.
So, how do you convince voters to spend even more money when they just defeated a tax to improve the Arkansas River? Owasso City Manager Rodney Ray says it's a matter of entertainment versus education.
"This is about education. It's about economic development. And, TCC has the finest reputation with its program 'Tulsa Achieves'," Ray says.
But, once again, the question is are residents county-wide willing to foot the bill? Linsey Curtis, a 17-year-old high school junior with college ahead of her, can't vote. But, she still likes the idea.
"There's a lot of kids that need to stay close to home and it would be easier to be cloesr, I guess."
Voters will head to the polls to decide the issue on May 13th.
Voters countywide would have to approve a 76-million dollar bond issue, 16-million dollars of which would help fund the new TCC campus. Additional bond revenue would also fund construction projects at all four current TCC campuses.
So, how do you convince voters to spend even more money when they just defeated a tax to improve the Arkansas River? Owasso City Manager Rodney Ray says it's a matter of entertainment versus education. "This is about education. It's about economic development. And, TCC has the finest reputation with its program 'Tulsa Achieves'," Ray says.
But, once again, the question is are residents county-wide willing to foot the bill? Linsey Curtis, a 17-year-old high school junior with college ahead of her, can't vote. But, she still likes the idea.
"There's a lot of kids that need to stay close to home and it would be easier to be cloesr, I guess."
Voters will head to the polls to decide the issue on May 13th.
Latest Comment on TCC Seeks To Build Fifth Campus
waterloo1
5:15 pm on 02/28/08
My life is doing fine, thank you. As for "betterment of society" , needing more cops and better streets, then explain the BOK center? The biggest project of "vision 2025" isn't going to be used for the "betterment of society". Yet that pass a vote of the people. If you want to give $76 million dollars to education, then lets give it to the institutions that need it, the public schools. After all, most people out of high school can't even find the US on a map. Maybe, just maybe, that would be better for society than building Owasso a nice new campus that they can build themselves. Considering Owasso has enough money laying around to buy TV ads to tell the rest of us about 'character', I think you can come up with the money.
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