San Jacinto College Business Analysis

A community college established in May 1960, San Jacinto College serves the communities and citizens of East Harris County, Texas with 28,326 students enrolled in the 2015 fall semester. San Jacinto has grown tremendously and so has the support for this college entity. As a taxpayer and student, it is important to know where the money is being utilized, how the school is operated and who to hold accountable in case a problem was to occur.

When San Jacinto College originated in 1960, voters in five school districts – Channelview, Deer Park, Galena Park, La Porte and Pasadena – approved the creation of East Harris County Union Junior College, later changed to San Jacinto Junior College District in 1961. When voters approved the bill, they elected seven members to service on the Board of Regents (now Board of Trustees). A levy tax was also authorized for the schools operation and maintenance cost. When the college first opened its doors in the fall of ’61, some 870 students filed into a handful of renovated buildings off Spencer Highway (Central Campus). In 1972, a bond created funds for the college to expand to a second campus (North Campus); then in 1976, a second bond was approved for a third campus (South Campus). A community college that has been serving the people of East Harris
San Jacinto receives funding in several ways; it comes from student tuition and fees, state funding based on performance measures, and property taxes. Property taxes have the following components: 1) general maintenance and operations; and 2) debt service to support construction and facility enhancements. San Jacinto College District has made it their priority to maintain a low tax rate for taxpayers. For the last four years, San Jacinto College has maintained the same low tax rate, at 18.6 cents per $100 valuation, for its