OTC plans Branson center expansion

The $357,000 project will add 5,058 square feet to the 11,000-square-foot facility in The Shoppes at Branson Meadows, 4440 Gretna Road, according to a school news release. The expansion is slated to be completed in time for the spring 2009 semester.

The added space will meet a need at the Branson center, where enrollment is up 38 percent this fall over last, with more than 360 students taking classes, the release said.

The center offers general education, noncredit and work force development courses, as well as GED completion and the English as a Second Language program. Students can earn an Associate of Arts degree or work toward fulfilling requirements for a four-year degree.

Since the Branson center is not in OTC’s taxing district, students there pay an extra $30 per credit hour to cover operational costs.