Elgin, Hays to be newest campuses

Two new campuses are scheduled to open in 2013 in Elgin and Hays County.

Elgin residents are invited to attend an event from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 1 at the Elgin Center to register for classes that will begin Feb. 14.

"It's exciting to have the opportunity to take ACC classes at the Elgin Center without paying an arm and a leg," said 22-year-old Elgin resident Tracy Munn.

Munn plans to enroll in Spanish classes at the center.

A pending lawsuit in Hays County has affected the construction of the Hays Campus, but plans to build Elgin Campus are on schedule, and ACC expects to break ground on the campus later this year.

"ACC purchased approximately 98 acres for this campus to allow for future expansion. The first phase of construction will provide approximately 60,000 gross square feet of space," said ACC spokesperson Alexis Patterson.

The first phase of Elgin Campus is designed to accommodate approximately 1,500 students.

"ACC will spend approximately $27.8 million to build and equip the campus. This excludes the cost of the land, but includes permits, fees, furnishings, et cetera," said Patterson.

"The ACC Public Facility Corporation has sold bonds to pay for the land and the construction," Patterson said. "The bonds will be repaid over the next 25 years from lease payments paid by ACC to the PFC."

Despite the setbacks to the construction of the Hays campus, residents in the area are looking forward to its future opening.

"Kyle has really grown in the past ten years. We used to have to drive to Austin to do our shopping and other things," said 32-year-old student Ruben Aguilar. "It's nice knowing that Kyle and Hays County residents will not have to drive to Austin to get a good education."