BY JERRIE WHITELEY

HERALD DEMOCRAT

Grayson County College's Board of Trustees made it official on Tuesday by calling for an election to let the people of Fannin County decide if they want to join Grayson County College's Community College District.

Shelle Cassell, GCC's marketing director, said the college will be paying approximately $20,000 for the election but the details will be handled by Fannin County Clerk Tammy Rich. Rich could not be reached for comment Tuesday about the election.

Cassell said the election has been called for May 8. If voters approve the idea, Fannin County residents could find themselves able to go to college without the drive and without paying out-of-district fees.

Tuesday's decision to call the election was just one in a long list of steps GCC has taken with the idea of adding a campus in Fannin County.

In February, trustees accepted a petition with 1,148 signatures calling for vote to let the people of Fannin County decide if they want to be a part of the college's education district.

At that meeting GCC President Alan Scheibmeir said GCC is more than happy to have the people of Fannin County join the college's district and thereby get a campus of the school in Fannin County.

If the voters of Fannin County approve the annexation, and GCC builds a Fannin County campus, voters there would pay the same property tax rate as Grayson County residents pay. That rate currently equates to about $91 a year on a $50,000 home in Fannin County.

In earlier conversations on the matter, Cassell, has said that tax rate is expected to generate about $3.96 million in the first year. That, coupled with the $2 million grant the college received plus $2 million in matching money, she said, would bring the total close to the $8 million officials think it should cost to build a structure much like the one in Van Alstyne.

In exchange, Fannin County residents would get a break on tuition rates. Currently Fannin County residents pay out-of-district rates when they attend Grayson County College.

Grayson County residents pay $135 in tuition and fees per 3-hour course and Fannin County residents pay $192 for the same course.