Governmental Affairs

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​  

Texas community colleges are vital to the overall well-being of Texas. Dallas College and our 165,000 students, along with our 49 community colleges across the state, play a central role in maintaining Texas’ economic engine and educating the majority of entering freshman and sophomore students.

During legislative sessions we will be paying close attention to property tax bills and other bills that impact our students, faculty and staff. Please let us know if you need further information.

Dallas College Delivers

Dallas College has about 100,000 students each semester during the regular academic year — more than 80,000 credit and 25,000 continuing education students — who drive the district to support their instructional, laboratory and facilities needs. Those needs compel us to work with legislators and to ensure that community colleges must be a statewide priority — particularly as businesses expand, the state's economy grows and the demand for a well-trained workforce continues to build.

The 50 community colleges/systems in Texas represent the largest sector of higher education in the state because we enroll more than 70% of all Texas freshmen and sophomores — and 78% of all minority freshmen and sophomores, too, which reflects the demographics​ we see every day across the state.

Community colleges serve as a gateway that provides access to higher education for people from every walk of life and from every community in Texas. We are the key to success in achieving the states' goals in 60X30TX. Dallas College, along with all other community colleges in Texas, attracts those students who are needed in the higher education system. Today, everyone needs some college to succeed and build careers.

When our students earn credentials, they are able to enter the workforce and find jobs that pay a living wage or transfer to another college or university to earn additional credentials so that they, too, eventually enter the workforce and build their careers.

With those facts in mind, Dallas College and other two-year institutions in Texas believe that the focus on community colleges and the contributions that they make to individual success, community needs, business partnerships and economic growth is earned and must be funded.

Our legislative priorities reflect the strategic priorities of our Dallas College Board of Trustees as well as several of priorities supported by the Texas Association of Community Colleges.

During each session of the Texas Legislature — which brings new leadership and new challenges to the floor, as well as existing budget issues — we believe that funding must grow as needs of community college students grow. Dallas College and other two-year colleges across the state need the resources and support to continue the education and training that our students and the state of Texas need to succeed — education, workforce training, stability of employment, economic growth and support for the communities we serve.

For more information, contact Debbi Richards in the Dallas College Office of Public and Governmental Affairs at 972-238-6969.​