Before Jennifer Cobb became an electrician, she worked as a receptionist in a doctor’s office in the Austin area. She was making about $16 an hour and raising two boys, which meant money was tight. She had to rely on government assistance to help make ends meet. “Sometimes I didn’t know how my kids were […]
Austin Community College
The city’s community college. ACC has campuses throughout the region.
Posted inAustin
Council OKs contract for new academy to train ‘workforce of the future’
City Council on Thursday approved a $5 million contract with Workforce Solutions Capital Area to start and manage the Austin Infrastructure Academy for 12 months. In addition to job training, the contract with Workforce Solutions includes the provision of child care services and job placement assistance for mobility and infrastructure related positions. Council approved the […]
Posted inEducation
Will free tuition help more students pursue higher ed? Austin Community College hopes so.
The summer before Xavier Daniels’ senior year was all about having fun. He traveled to Japan and New York and visited family in Massachusetts. But this summer was different. The 18-year-old said when he graduated from Leander High School, it felt like real life was officially beginning. “Me and my friends were saying to each […]
Posted inEducation
Austin Community College board approves 4.5% raise, increasing hourly minimum wage to $23
The Austin Community College District Board of Trustees on Monday approved a 4.5 percent across-the-board raise for employees. The new compensation package also increases the hourly minimum wage from $22 to $23, which also works out to a 4.5 percent raise. ACC has about 6,100 full-time and part-time employees. Executive Vice Chancellor of Finance and […]
Posted inEducation
Austin Community College will offer free tuition to high school grads
The Austin Community College District Board of Trustees on Monday approved a pilot program offering free tuition to local students graduating from high school. Eight board members voted in favor of the program, with one abstaining. The board’s vote comes several months after ACC Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart first announced the proposal in January. He described […]
Posted inAustin
Life sciences talk brings major development news at Urban Land Institute panel
The life sciences industry in Austin is so active and bustling with deals and investments that, over the course of an hour’s discussion last week, leaders in the field dropped a pair of hints about forthcoming significant developments for the local economy. At Urban Land Institute Austin’s monthly panel discussion on the area’s future as […]
Posted inDevelopment
Former skate shop cleared for demolition after successful relocation campaign
With No-Comply Skate Shop successfully relocated a stone’s throw from its prior home, the proposal to demolish the now vacant storefront at 812 W. 12th St. has returned to City Hall. The lot, owned by Austin Community College, inspired controversy when news broke of plans to replace the building with a brand-new student parking garage. […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Austin Community College has a $770 million bond on the ballot this election. Here’s what’s in it.
Austin Community College could see an expansion of its workforce development programs and two new campuses if voters pass a $770 million bond proposition in the November election. If voters approve ACC District Prop A, each of the 11 existing ACC campuses will get millions of dollars in program and facilities expansions. Two new campuses will also […]
Posted inBudget
ACC nearly doubles its spending on compensation in response to rising cost of living
Lee esta historia en español The Austin Community College Board of Trustees unanimously approved a budget for Fiscal Year 2023 on Monday that includes nearly $21 million for compensation, which is almost double what the college spent last year. “Last year was, by far, our largest compensation package and it was just over $11 million,” said Neil […]
Posted inElections
Former Capital Idea head running for ACC board
Three spots on the Austin Community College District Board of Trustees – places 4, 5 and 6 – will be up for election this November. Steve Jackobs, the founder and longtime executive director of Capital Idea, stepped down from the nonprofit this spring to run for the Place 6 seat. The incumbent, Nora de Hoyos […]
Posted inPreservation
City postpones skate shop demolition
A groundswell of support for a beloved Austin skate shop did not fall upon unsympathetic ears at the Historic Landmark Commission. Austin Community College was seeking a permit to demolish No-Comply Skate Shop at 812 W. 12th St. to make way for a parking garage. The school needs permission from the city’s Historic Landmark Commission. […]
Posted inPlanning
Neighbors wary as ACC takes a step back from concrete plant
After hearing numerous complaints from neighbors of Austin Community College’s Pinnacle campus in Oak Hill, the ACC Board of Trustees approved a new resolution Monday night specifically excluding the use of the campus for a concrete batch plant. The board approved a resolution last month that appeared to authorize negotiations for placing the plant on […]