McLennan Community College to retain Highlander Ranch

MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas — McLennan Community College will retain its 200 acre Highlander Ranch after a vote from the Board of Trustees on Tuesday, July 11.

The college will use an instructional plan to address the school's financial needs to keep the facility running. In the official motion that passed 5-2, the board of trustees pledged to include the community in its plan.

Over 20 people signed up to speak in front of the board and a large crowd to show their support of keeping the property and asking the board to consult the equine and veterinary community before making a decision on the ranch.

"Our community and the taxpayers have always been supportive of MCC and will continue to support the school as long as there is a true respect for their opinion and concerns," said Nancy Lacy, a Waco resident who attended MCC in the 1980s. "Open dialogue is the only way to keep that trust."

For years, the ranch expenses long outweighed the revenue it brought in for the college, so the Board of Trustees explored options of selling the ranch. On Tuesday, they ultimately decided to take action and keep the property.

"We need to stop kicking this can down the road and put it to bed." Chairman of the Board K. Paul Holt said. "I move that we commit long term to retain the ranch with the instructional programs with additional investments and to teach on down the road."

The Highlander Ranch was purchased by the college in 2002 and it houses the college's veterinary technology and agriculture associates programs and veterinary assistant certificate program. It also offers horseback riding, lessons, camps, and equine boarding.

Veterinary professionals from the community spoke on the quality educational opportunities the ranch affords and expressed the importance of an investment. The investment in 2022 was over $200,000 to keep the ranch running after revenue fell short.

"Without this program, our veterinary community would lose nearly $5 million in revenue." said retired MCC professor in Veterinary Technology Dennis Clark.

The board was presented with several options for what to do with the property: Retain the property and continue operating it how it is, retain the property and implement an instructional plan, sell the ranch or seek out third-party partnership proposals.

The instructional plan the board decided to pursue forms a ranch advisory board, expands services offered to bring in more revenue, and involves other academic and workforce programs to utilize the ranch.

Now that the board made its decision, college staff will work with the community on the specifics of the instructional plan, with phase one set to begin in the 2023-24 school year.