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| 8/14/2009 9:31:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Round Rock ACC site progressing
On Wednesday, Aug. 5, Austin Community College marked another milestone in the construction of its Round Rock campus, as ACC officials led the community in a "topping out" ceremony.
As those who follow the many construction projects in Round Rock and Williamson County know, a topping out ceremony occurs when a building's external framework is completed - meaning it's time to move on to the interior work.
What that means for ACC specifically is that the campus is on schedule for its announced opening in the fall of 2010.
As previously reported in the Leader: "ACC's presence in Round Rock will expand programs such as health services ... and workforce training in emerging career fields such as renewable energy technology."
Ground was broken Feb. 5.
The first phase of construction at ACC's Round Rock campus - the eighth campus in the ACC system - is taking place on 60 acres, located south of University Boulevard and adjacent to County Road 112.
Phase one of the project - which is what's being built now - consists of five buildings, with more than 250,000 square-feet and room for 5,000 students to enroll.
When completed the campus will serve about 11,000 students. Currently ACC has about 35,000 students enrolled at its seven existing campuses in the Austin area.
Round Rock voters put all of this in motion in May 2008 by wisely voting themselves into ACC's taxing district.
Previously only about one-third of Round Rock ISD - the third with Austin zip codes - was in the ACC district.
Now all of Round Rock and RRISD are in.
Because of that, Round Rock's ACC students will realize significant financial savings by paying in-district - not out-of-district - tuition rates.
Last year, for example, ACC's in-district tuition rate was $39 per credit hour. The out-of-district rate was $112 per credit hour.
As we have noted before, Round Rock ISD graduates choose ACC by a two-to-one margin over the second-most popular school, the University of Texas.
With a health sciences and technologies presence on its Round Rock campus, ACC will open doors for homegrown residents seeking homegrown job opportunities.
After all, three of Round Rock's top employers are Round Rock Medical Center, Scott & White University Medical Center and Seton Medical Center Williamson.
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