TC board OKs construction manager

Texarkana College’s Board of Trustees considered proposals for construction manager at risk for remodeling of the vacant Health Occupations building for use by the science, technology, engineering and math division.

Three of the requests for proposal were ranked as follows: ML James, Altech and Nabholtz.

Trustees authorized TC President Dr. Jason Smith to negotiate a guaranteed maximum price for the project and negotiate contracts related to the remodel.

“We are making progress and it’s very exciting times, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds with these projects that will have a lasting impact for future generations to come,” said Kim Jones, TC’s vice president of finance.

The total project is budgeted at $4 million and will be paid through proceeds from the $10 million maintenance tax note the trustees approved in February. Improvements are being done campus-wide, including renovation of the parking lot and the library restrooms to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In other business, the board heard a report on the college rankings in the 2019 Texas Public Higher Education Almanac, which shows performance data for all state-funded colleges in the state.

Dr. Donna McDaniel, TC’s vice president of instruction, said the report showed the college ranking first in the state for three-year graduation rates for full-time students and in the top 10 for low student debt.

“We are very proud of our students who have broken these completion records, and last year our students completed faster and at a higher rate than our peers,” McDaniel said, adding that the rate was 45.8 percent. “This is the second time in the past five years that our students are in the top spot for graduation rates for a degree or certificate.”

The board also voted to change the date of the next meeting to June 26.