What’s happening?
Lone Star College-Tomball President Lee Ann Nutt said that at the Magnolia Center, a satellite campus for LSC-Tomball, students can complete associate degrees for university transfer and work toward workforce certifications in heating, ventilation and air conditioning, as well as emergency medical services, according to the campus’ website. The HVAC and EMS programs were chosen based on feedback from the community.
Nutt said the other classes offered at the satellite campus will be freshman- and sophomore-level university transfer-type courses such as English, math and government. All classes at the Magnolia Center will also be face-to-face.
The total cost of the 85,000-square-foot satellite campus was $28.15 million, Nutt said. Sitting on 15 acres, the campus will also feature a library and comprehensive student support services, per its website.
“This is a long time coming. ... The community has wanted it for a very long time,” Nutt said. ”So when we open in January, we will open in January. We’re not going to do a soft start, we’re not going to just open a few things. We’re going to open.”
Features of LSC-Magnolia Center
- $28.15 million
- 85,000 square feet
- Sits on 15 acres
- 7 classrooms
- 7 labs
- 5 computer classrooms
- Includes a library
- Will be LSCS's 11th satellite campus
Planning for the Magnolia Center has been ongoing since 2014, as the project was part of LSCS’s $485 million bond, which was approved by voters that same year. After the bond passed, the campus faced roadblocks from projects such as the Tomball Tollway extension and the FM 1488 overpass at FM 149, which delayed the campus’s location selection process, per prior reporting.
The project’s design was completed in late 2022, and officials broke ground on the project in June 2024, as previously reported by Community Impact.
“My very first meeting as a vice president was to go look at land for a potential Magnolia Center 15 years ago. Here we are, finally opening,” Nutt said.
Magnolia is a growing area, which is why it was chosen for the new satellite campus, Nutt said. Formerly aligned to the system’s LSC-Montgomery campus located along Hwy. 242, Nutt said that due to the Magnolia Center’s proximity to LSC-Tomball, which is located along Hwy. 249, it is now part of that campus instead.
Once it opens, LSC-Magnolia Center will join 10 other satellite campuses within LSCS.
“We are excited to have one of the satellite campuses in our community,” Magnolia ISD’s Chief Communications Officer Denise Meyers said.
The new satellite campus is located across from Magnolia West High School along FM 1486. Meyers said MISD officials have begun discussing potential partnership opportunities with LSCS officials.
While officials get ready to open this new campus, enrollment at the college system as a whole is growing, per LSCS data. Between the fall of 2012 and the fall of 2025, enrollment grew 25%—rising from 77,877 to 97,294.
Magnolia’s population is also growing, per estimates from the Texas Demographic Center. Between July 2021 and January 2025, the population in Magnolia rose from 2,938 to 6,321—a 115.15% increase.
“As population growth has accelerated, the [Magnolia Economic Development Corp.] board has seen firsthand the increasing demand for accessible pathways to promotions, skill development, and higher-wage careers,” said MEDC Executive Director Rachel Steele.
- “We look forward to being there to be a good neighbor and to help Magnolia and their growth and their success.” —Lee Ann Nutt, Lone Star College-Tomball president
- “The campus will ... strengthen the city’s long-term economic resilience.” —Rachel Steele, Magnolia Economic Development Corp. Executive Director
Nutt said she’ll feel like LSCS has succeeded if they register 500 students over the first spring and summer semesters. She predicted that over the next couple of years, the campus could see enrollment of at least 4,500 students.
“Our first priority is to get the building open and operational,” Nutt said.
Erich Morris, MISD’s assistant superintendent of operations, said the district is starting to have conversations with LSCS officials about what potential partnerships could look like.
“We are anxious to see what possibilities may exist in the future, through ... working with our [career and technical education] programs,” Morris said.
With regard to the district, data from LSCS shows that at least 200 MISD graduates have attended the community college during every fall semester since 2020. On the Tomball ISD side, at least 300 graduates from that district have attended LSC in that same time frame.
Meanwhile, Nutt said they’re hiring staff to prepare for Jan. 20, when classes begin.
“We are bringing [staff] on board now so that they’ll be ready to hit the ground running in January,” Nutt said.
