FAQ

Texas community colleges do not receive state funding for these types of projects and are required by state law to ask voters for permission to sell bonds to investors in order to raise the capital needed to renovate existing buildings or build new facilities. Essentially, it’s permission to take out a loan to build, renovate, and pay that loan back over time, similar to how a family takes out a mortgage for their home. The Board of Trustees calls a bond initiative so voters can decide whether or not they want to fund proposed facility projects.

TJC approached this milestone with a focus on long-term planning and management.

In 2019, the college completed its Strategic Plan, charting a course through 2026.

In 2022, TJC developed a comprehensive Campus Master Plan, documenting facility assessments and projected space requirements.

By 2024, a Facilities Planning Committee made up of community members and college representatives was formed to review focus areas identified in earlier planning efforts.

From this process, three major facility projects were identified to accommodate community partnerships, student learning environments, workforce preparation, and the college’s technological and physical infrastructure. The Board of Trustees considered the Facilities Planning Committee’s recommendations when calling the bond.

State law requires that bond funds be spent solely on the facility projects listed in the bond initiative. In addition, if the initiative passes, the college will invite community members to serve on a Bond Oversight Committee. This committee will meet regularly to monitor progress and ensure that all bond-funded facility projects are completed as planned.

The college itself does not set property values. Property values are determined by the Smith and Van Zandt County Appraisal Districts, independent government agencies responsible for estimating the market value of properties annually in each county. 

The Appraisal Districts look at things like: 

1. Recent sales of similar homes in your area 

2. Market trends (supply and demand) 

3. Improvements or changes made to your property 

4. Overall neighborhood growth and development

In short, the college doesn’t control your home’s value; the real estate market and the county appraisal process do. Find out more information at smithcad.org or vzcad.org.

Because of current and anticipated future growth at TJC, we’ve evaluated the spaces that would be vacated if the TJC Bond passes:

• The Pirtle Technology “building” is actually five interconnected buildings, constructed in phases between the mid-1960s and mid-1980s. Those buildings range from a single story to three stories tall. A visual structural inspection conducted as part of the 2022 Comprehensive Master Plan raised questions about Pirtle’s suitability for its current, specialized use. Once we have the results from a formal site investigation and structural forensics evaluation, we will likely recommend that Pirtle be remodeled for more general classroom use. Obviously, the age of the buildings and costs of anticipated needed repairs will be factored into this recommendation.

• TJC currently has 18 different Student Support services spread across eight different buildings. As these services are consolidated into the new Student Success Center, the old spaces are planned to be reallocated. Highlights of the proposed plans include:

• The Rogers Student Center - which currently houses Advising, Testing, TRIO and Counseling Services – will be evolved into a true social gathering hub for students. Expanded facilities for socialization would include a student organizations office and meeting area, student government space, and lounges for general students and veteran/military students, along with a game room.

• The White Administrative Services Center – which currently houses offices for the Registrar, Admissions, Financial Aid, and the Apache Enrollment Center – will allow a consolidation of our Human Resources, Business Services, and Marketing & Communications departments from other, older buildings across campus.

• The TJC Promise and Scholarship Services Offices will also be repurposed for general classroom space.

The TJC Comprehensive Master Plan and the Facilities Planning Committee both exist to help TJC continue to be a responsible steward of the facilities that have been entrusted to us by East Texas taxpayers. These proposed new uses for our existing buildings are prime examples of that ongoing commitment.

TJC has produced and is distributing mail pieces to voters with specific information, including the proposed bond amount, the three proposed new construction projects, and tax impact information. We also maintain this website, which includes these same details.

TJC’s goal is to inform voters in our tax district and ensure they have awareness of the bond election and dates. Additionally, TJC is required to inform voters by posting notices (and sample ballots) of the election on our website and publishing notice of the election in English and Spanish in the local newspaper, among other efforts.

There is an independent political action committee (PAC) called “Vote Yes for TJC” - that is distinct and separate from the College - that has produced and distributed mailings, yard signs, videos and perhaps more. We are also aware that their output is persuasive in nature and always runs with the “Vote Yes for TJC” slogan.

The Vote Yes for TJC PAC has filed with the Texas Ethics Commission and pays for its activities with funds that they have secured through separate fundraising efforts. Again, the PAC is an independent entity from TJC, and the College does not fund, review or distribute its materials. Reports for the Vote Yes for TJC PAC are available from the Texas Ethics Commission website.

In its nearly 100-year history, TJC has sought and passed five bonds totaling $27.2 million.

All the past TJC bonds have been used for the specific purposes presented, and all have stayed within the voter-approved amount.

The $167.3 million prosed for the 2026 bond represents the maximum authorization. Bonds are issued only as needed, and if project costs are lower than anticipated, the College will not issue the full amount.

The proposed bonds will also be structured to allow for future refinancing if interest rates decline. That could reduce the total interest paid over time. TJC has a strong track record of doing this, saving taxpayers more than $9.7 million through prior strategic refinancing efforts.

TJC maintains a AA+ bond rating from Standard & Poor’s, reflecting the College’s strong financial management and commitment to responsible stewardship of public resources.

We remain committed to fiscal responsibility and long-term planning that supports student success and community needs.

The TJC Master Plan conducted in 2022 identified the current main IT/Data Center building as outdated, undersized and having significant infrastructure issues (such as flooding and overhead leaking). To prevent the catastrophic loss of equipment and data, along with lengthy campus downtime, replacing that building was recommended. The current IT team is also split between three locations because of the limited size of the current facility. A modern IT building is essential to:

• Properly house staff and equipment

• Enable efficient, coordinated support operations

• Improve response times and service delivery

• Support future growth and technological demands

Similarly, the TJC Police Department is currently operating from two small, converted, residential buildings that lack the facilities needed by the department (armory, adequate evidence room, appropriate records storage, interrogation and detention areas) to ensure officer safety; support effective, efficient operations; and deliver high-quality public safety services to the TJC central campus, remote sites and surrounding communities.

Finally, the new Police and IT building will bring together the Office of Institutional Safety, Risk and Emergency Management under one roof enabling clear and effective communication and on-campus incident management.  The Master Plan identified that a new campus Police Building was needed to support existing operations.

The Facilities Planning Committee recommended these two efforts be combined into a single new building that better meets the current needs of both critical support areas of the College.

By locating these functions in the same facility, the college will integrate its physical and digital security operations supporting 20,000 students annually and 1,200 employees who learn, train and work at TJC and also save money on construction costs for a secure facility.

TJC’s entire IT team is fully on-site to meet the real-time, high-demand needs of a complex, multi-campus environment serving 20,000 students and 1,200 employees across four locations. The number of service requests received/responded to since January 1, 2026 is more than 37,500.

While many organizations have shifted portions of IT work to remote models, the nature of our operations - high ticket volume, classroom technology support, infrastructure maintenance and in-person student and employee assistance - requires a strong physical presence to deliver effective and timely service. The IT team manages a significant daily volume of support requests across multiple service channels. This workload reflects the critical, hands-on nature of IT support in a campus environment.

Additionally, Senate Bill 2615 went into effect at the beginning of the 25/26 academic year and has strict guidelines for institutions of higher education in Texas regarding telework for non-teaching and teaching positions.

Alternative parking approaches were assessed by the Facilities Planning Committee. Flat-surface parking is significantly cheaper to build, requires less maintenance and offers easier, faster access. But this option lacks protection from the elements.

Parking garages provide more efficient use of space and superior vehicle protection from weather, making them ideal for high-density urban areas, despite higher construction and usage costs. The current cost for a parking garage is approximately $30,000 per space. 

Given that TJC has the locations available for additional flat parking at the central campus, the Committee determined that was the best approach.

No additional student housing is needed or warranted at this time. TJC will maintain availability for approximately 1,100 students to live on campus, which is enough to support current and anticipated on-campus housing needs.

TJC Housing is primarily in place to support the affinity groups who benefit specifically from a living/learning community. These affinity groups include athletic teams (TJC has 12 sports teams), the Apache Band, Belles, and our Honors Program. Current housing availability supports approximately 600 beds for affinity group members, leaving approximately 500 beds for unaffiliated students.

More than half of TJC’s students (57%) attend part time, and nearly two-thirds (64%) live in one of four East Texas counties. Strategic scheduling also allows students to save money by living at home and commuting to classes. For those and other reasons, most of our students can and do choose to commute. 

Strategic population growth in Tyler and throughout East Texas continues to be key in the healthy enrollment at the College. In addition, the collaborative work with Economic Development Corporations and Chambers of Commerce – coupled with the increased demand for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related graduates - are anticipated to lead to continued enrollment growth. 

The proposed facilities will allow for increased student enrollment, not just a distribution of students for convenience. 

Some key statistics regarding TJC’s growth:

·       13.6% growth in Fall credit enrollment over the last decade

·       21.1% growth in workforce credit programs over the last decade 

The TJC Comprehensive Master Plan and the Facilities Planning Committee both exist to help TJC continue to be a responsible steward of the facilities that have been entrusted to us by East Texas taxpayers. These proposed new uses for our existing buildings are prime examples of that ongoing commitment.

Smith County Appraisal District: 
https://smithcad-search.gsacorp.io/search

Van Zandt County Appraisal District: 
https://vzcad.org/property-search