Lampasas moved a step closer to making a college campus in the community a reality with the approval Monday night of a letter of commitment and a $50,000 contribution over the next two years from the Lampasas Independent School District.

The Board of Trustees of the Lampasas ISD agreed that a college campus in Lampasas is a smart move both for education and economic stimulation, so the LISD's contribution was approved contingent upon funding from a Texas Department of Agriculture's Pathways to Success grant.

The Lampasas Economic Development Corp. is seeking to establish a multi-institution teaching center to be named the Lampasas County Higher Education Center, in conjunction with the city of Lampasas, Central Texas College, Texas A&M-Central Texas, Texas Tech University, Texas State Technical College and local high schools in the county.

The LCHEC will provide coordinated higher education and workforce readiness opportunities to the region by offering academic or career and technical credit as well as non-credit courses.

Mayor Judith Hetherly, who has made it a personal mission to bring higher education to Lampasas, was on hand at Monday's called meeting of the Lampasas ISD board to discuss the proposal.

Superintendent Randall Hoyer noted that several representatives of the Lampasas school district visited the city of Taylor to observe its college program, and they came back with a vision to start a similar program here.

"A grant might help facilitate this and move it toward the goal, but it will take involvement from the LISD and other entities to make it a reality," he said.

Ms. Hetherly visited with the Texas Department of Agriculture Rural Economic Division, which indicated it will provide funding to replicate the program at Taylor, but the grant amount is up in the air. It could range from $50,000 to $125,000, the mayor said.

"TDA will award as many grants as it can with the funding it has," she said. "I think we have a good chance of getting some of that."

The Lampasas EDC supports the proposal for a college campus here, Ms. Hetherly said. "It's important to the city and the county. Passing the LISD's recent bond package was one of the most important things we ever did in the community. This is the next partnership."

The county and city have approved matching funds of $50,000 over the next two years, along with the Lampasas EDC. Private funds of $20,000 over the next two-year period also are included.

The Texas Department of Agriculture requires a 10 percent match to its grant. "We've gone beyond that because we think that's what it will take to get the school sustainable in three years," Ms. Hetherly said.

The project is really going to be a partnership, the mayor added. "LISD is absolutely the key. You're the one with the kids.

"If we're successful in receiving the grant, and I think we have a very good chance, the next step is for all partners to sit down and look at the application, and then for a CEO to be named to provide leadership for the school. Then the CEO should form with its partners a memorandum of understanding -- a clear understanding of what it wants to achieve."

James Briggs, president of the board of LISD, said nothing can be done to duplicate what Central Texas College is offering. "That's not the intent. We appreciate what CTC does, and we want to work with them to do bigger and better things."

CTC is the college that has jurisdiction in the area for sophomorelevel courses and under. The LCHEC would supplement that by offering upper-level courses or classes CTC doesn't offer.

"CTC will be a major player in the whole exercise," said Briggs.

Ms. Hetherly said the aim is to allow students to receive an associate's degree along with a high school diploma, the opportunity to enter a four-year institution as a junior, or technical training in a specific field, if they choose.

Briggs said a number of local youths likely stop college after two years because they can't afford to go further. "This program will allow them to hopefully get a college degree and finish their education."

In approving the measure, Linda Floerke -- who, along with trustee Dan Claussen, works on the committee supporting the multi-institution education center -- asked the LISD to commit to providing classroom space.

The project's objective is to promote lifelong learning and to begin offering college courses, including dual credit, at the LCHEC by spring 2010.

The mayor and other city officials, school officials and a county representative met Tuesday morning with Dr. James R. Anderson, chancellor of Central Texas College, and James Nixon, dean of CTC's Fort Hood and Service Area Campus, to discuss the next steps in the process.