City Council gives OK to OTC's master plan

Springfield City Council July 6 approved the Ozarks Technical Community College Master Plan for Facilities, enabling the college to consolidate several of its locations into a main campus.

The consolidation project will allow the college to provide the greatest benefit to its students while making the best use of taxpayers' funding, according to a press release from OTC.

OTC became aware of public concerns that the old Lincoln High School building would not be included in the plans for the consolidated campus, the release said.

OTC stated that the old high school, which was used as an African-American school before desegregation, will always remain part of the campus.

A committee is exploring how OTC can most effectively utilize the consolidation plan. The committee comprises concerned citizens and the members of the OTC Workforce 2000 Committee.

Recommendations that will be made at OTC's Aug. 10 board of trustees meeting will include a suggestion for slightly increasing the OTC operating tax levy on property. This would provide the funds needed to acquire the land for the construction of buildings on the OTC campus, the release said.

An allocation of $3 million was made to OTC by the Missouri General Assembly for the construction of a Job Training Center, but it must be matched by local funds. Increasing the local property tax is one option for ensuring the state allocation can be matched, the release said.

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