Lower Cost Alternatives to NCTC $30.7 Million Bond

We believe NCTC is an asset to the community and provides an excellent education for those starting college. We continue to be supporters of NCTC.

However, we don't support excessive spending and taxes for a new $12 Million Administrative Building creatively renamed "Student Services & Academic Support Center" and another $5 million to renovate the current Administration Building into a "Student Life & Activities Center" that would mostly be used by resident Out-of-County students.

We do agree some improvements need to be made to Health Sciences but feel this could be done for a few million dollars if NCTC was willing to accept something less than what appears to be their optimal solution.

There are several good alternatives to a record $30 + million tax bond:

1. Make better use of the space NCTC has in Gainesville.

According to a recent NCTC produced report, the Gainesville Campus has 255,090 square feet, (SF). Unfortunately only 63,175 SF of that is considered instructional or less than one in four. Compare that to Corinth which has 92,712 SF of which a little less than half is instructional @ 42,536 SF. The report uses Fall 2010 enrollment to show Corinth has 16 SF per student compared to Gainesville @ 107 SF. Gainesville already has more than 6 times the square feet per student Corinth does.

Don't take our word for it. Click on the link below to see the NCTC report for yourself.

2. Fix and Maintain the buildings we already have.

Webmasters' note: Ken Arterbury ran a construction and demolition company in Dallas for 30+ years and has extensive experience in building and maintaining facilities.

Ken Arterbury and two engineers reports commissioned by NCTC say that the 300 building could be fixed for about what it would cost to tear it down, less than $300,000, far less than the additional $12 million NCTC wants in tax bonds to replace it. Click on the link below to see Ken's letter and the most recent Engineer's report commissioned by NCTC.

3. Buy or Lease part of the Gainesville Factory Shops Mall.

NCTC could probably get a cheap long term lease for the space it needs at The Gainesville Outlet Mall or buy it for a couple million dollars, maybe less. It has great curb appeal and is a modern, modular facility. It already has a food court and is ADA compliant. NCTC and Flower Mound tout how great it was for NCTC to become the "Anchor" tenant at the mall in Flower Mound. If that was good for Flower Mound, why isn't it good for Gainesville?

NCTC apparently doesn't want two campuses in Cooke County and says it is too costly and inconvenient for students. If it was too costly, why did they do it in Denton County? Most Health Science programs like nursing are full-time programs. Most nursing students don't have time to take outside courses even if they wanted to. Why not put all the health science classes and programs at the Outlet Mall? They could also move some of the other administrative functions like Information Technology. The Outlet Mall is much more modern than the old NCTC Buildings they keep telling us about and the price is right!

4. Start a Night and/or Weekend Program for Nursing and if necessary other Health Sciences Programs.

Nursing and many other health science occupations are not 8-5 Monday - Friday types of jobs. Many of them work around the clock. Why not start a night and/or weekend program to make better use of the space we have. If the real objective is to get more students enrolled and graduated vs. get some very large and expensive new buildings, this seems like a no-brainer.

5. Lease the unused wing at NTMC for NCTC Health Science Clinical and Classroom Space.

Cooke County Taxpayers are already paying for this space as a result of the NTMC bond for $26.5 million that passed a few years ago. If NTMC is only using one of two wings, why not let the college use the other? What could be a better place to learn nursing than a modern, up to date hospital wing? Anyone wonder how much space would not be effectively used at NCTC if the $30.7 million bond passes

Tell NCTC it is time to consider lower cost options. We can't afford a doubling of our NCTC Tax rate for the next 25 years so NCTC can have their IDEAL solution with more than two acres of new buildings.

Vote NO on the NCTC Bond, November 8, 2011

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