Temple College seeks $158 million bond to build science, technology and workforce facilities

Dr. Christy Pon, president of Temple College, told Belton ISD trustees on April 20 that the college is asking voters to approve a $158 million bond to fund a new science building, a technology building to house data servers and cybersecurity programs, expanded health-science facilities and more workforce training space.

The bond, Pon said, is tied to a 10-year facility master plan that began with a 2021 bond. She described the bond as "about building for the future," running through planned expansions that would bring the Texas Bioscience Institute and other STEM labs back onto the Temple College campus and create capacity for emerging programs such as HVAC, refrigeration, global supply chain, semiconductor training and radiology tech.

Pon said Phase 1 projects from the 2021 bond — a workforce and visual arts center, a campus services center, a health science center and the Temple College main building/university center — were completed on time and on budget. She said the workforce and visual arts center filled immediately at opening and that donated equipment, including tools from Tokyo Electron, helped launch semiconductor and advanced-manufacturing training.

Explaining the college's facility challenges, Pon said many campus buildings are 50–60 years old and face HVAC, foundation and electrical switchgear problems; she urged investment in a new technology building to protect servers and expand cybersecurity and computer-science offerings. She also said the college has received a $2 million equipment grant that will require new construction to use effectively.

On tax implications, Pon said the college's current rate is a little over $0.20 per $100 of assessed value and that the proposed bond would result in roughly a 3-cent tax-rate increase. "For a $100,000 homestead, it is $2 per month or about $24 a year," she said, and noted homeowners 65 and older would not see an increase because of the tax freeze. Pon also outlined election logistics: early voting was open through April 28 and Election Day would be May 2, with the city of Temple running the election and using the Temple ISD administration building as a polling site.

Why it matters: the bond would pay for buildings and program capacity designed to feed local employers and increase the pipeline of trained workers in health care, advanced manufacturing and technology. If approved, the measure would be implemented alongside ongoing coordination with partner employers such as Baylor Scott & White, which has offered donated imaging equipment for a proposed radiology program.

The presentation closed with an invitation to visit the bond webpage and contact the college for details; Pon left to attend her own board meeting after answering trustees' questions. The Belton ISD board workshop then moved to district updates.

Sources: presentation to the Belton ISD Board of Trustees by Dr. Christy Pon at the April 20, 2026 workshop.