COMMITTEE BEHIND PROPOSED BRAZOS VOCATIONAL SCHOOL TO BEGIN PETITION PROCESS

  

The committee behind the proposed vocational school in the Brazos Valley will be asking voters on Tuesday to sign a petition intended to help create a new community college district in Brazos County.

The Research Valley Partnership says that if the petition is signed by the appropriate percentage of registered voters, it gives authority to the Brazos County Commissioners Court to call an election to create a new community college district in Brazos County.

This college district could allow for either “a partnership with other technical workforce providers, creation of a new college, or a change in governance or control of existing Blinn College operations in Brazos County.”

Blinn College released the following statement concerning the new petition:

“Blinn College has provided exceptional service to Brazos County for 46 years and plans to build upon that success with its expansion to the RELLIS Campus and the continued development of new academic transfer and career training programs.

Blinn’s diverse, tax-free service to Brazos County includes academic transfer, dual credit, early college high school, and workforce and career training courses. Given Blinn’s demonstrated commitment to Brazos County, a new community college represents an unnecessary burden for local taxpayers and a step backward for local educational services.”

The Talent Pipeline Initiative Steering Committee, made up of Brazos County business and community leaders, filed a letter of intent October 19, 2016 with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) notifying the board of its intent to create the new district. The necessary signatures must be presented at the THECB January 2017 meeting.

The Research Valley Partnership will have volunteers at all 26 voting sites in Brazos County on Election Day, as well as a petition available to sign at the Partnership’s office.