LSC–Tomball works to keep pace with area growth

In addition, construction of the new $36.3 million Creekside Center, which is an extension of LSC–Tomball, is expected to start by the summer, Karr said. The new 85,000-square-foot campus will be on West New Harmony Trail, west of Kuykendahl Road, a few miles from the city limits of Tomball, and will provide residents living in northeast Tomball a closer location for classes, compared with LSC-Tomball on Hwy. 249.

"What is on the table is the new Creekside Center and we're very excited about that," Karr said. "The land had been purchased from the 2008 bond election. We had no choice but to go ahead and build it because we were up against a construction deadline."

The Creekside Center is expected to open in the early spring of 2016, Karr said. The college is in the planning stages of the new center, she said. The LSC board approved a special revenue bond to pay for the new center with money coming from facilities funds, which has no affect on tax rates.

The college will offer a combination of associates and transfer courses, and workforce programs at the new location.

"We're absolutely thrilled," Karr said. "There's a tremendous amount of growth with companies relocating or expanding in the area. We know it will be an immediate success."

After voters denied Lone Star College System a $497 million bond proposal in May 2013, LSCS officials still find themselves over the recommended capacity for class sizes set by the state of Texas at most campuses.

"We may not be at full capacity in all our programs, but we are there or quickly reaching it for the programs that are most in demand," said Ray Laughter, vice chancellor for external affairs with LSCS.

Several crucial elements of the bond package were carried out despite the bond's failure, Laughter said. Funding was secured through the revenue budget process to pay for safety and security upgrades, including upgrades to the messaging systems at each campus for emergency situations.

"That's the kind of infrastructure improvement I don't think anyone in the community would want us not to invest in," Laughter said.

Enrollment numbers in the fall were fairly flat, but Laughter said they are still projecting future increases. Enrollment has increased by about 30,000 students in the past six years.

"We tried to be as efficient as we could in terms of getting more students into the facilities we have," Laughter said. "We increased our class size by about 20 percent, which is a big jump, but there's only so much you can do. We're ushering more students to online classes, or to the days or hours that aren't as jammed."

Laughter said the true impact of full classrooms on enrollment numbers can be hard to gauge.

LSCS officials will have a better idea of what the next step will be after studying spring 2014 enrollment, which is expected to be higher than fall numbers, Laughter said.

"We are not at the point yet where we are ready to move forward on a plan for the next bond election," he said. "One thing that is certain is things are changing, and we're going to grow. We'll see how spring enrollment goes, what has changed since the last [bond] election and what our priorities should be."