With 86 percent of the ballots tabulated, the Bernalillo County Clerk’s Office declared that voters have elected to expand the Central New Mexico Community College district into northern Rio Rancho.

It paves the way for further educational opportunities closer to home for Rio Ranchoans, with a CNM campus expected to be built in the next few years.

And CNM will partner with the University of New Mexico on a “two plus two” program, in which students would get their first two years of college at CNM, and complete their degree work at an adjacent UNM campus. New UNM president David Schmidley has said he foresees the day when UNM would have a complete four-year institution in Rio Rancho, including dormitories. With ballots due on Nov. 15, two separate electorates had to vote in favor of expanding CNM’s taxing district for the election to succeed n voters currently residing in the district and those who were residing outside of the district in northern Rio Rancho.

The vote in-district stood at 81.8 percent (57,886) in favor and 18.2 percent (12,923) against. The vote out-of-district stood at 65.7 percent (2,418) in favor and 34.3 percent (1,265) against.

Sandoval County Commissioner David Bency, a former Rio Rancho city councilor, admitted he was shocked by the results, in light of the recent sports complex North.

based on the recent defeat in Rio Rancho of the proposed Sports Complex North., “wich was a total shock,” he said.

“I thought it might pass by a single vote. I was shocked by the margin,” he said. “We do have a heartbeat still.”

Rio Rancho Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Sue Cleveland, ecstatic earlier this year when voters here approved a $105 bond issue for the schools, said, “This is a community that has historically valued education and the community proved that again.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to work with CNM, and (UNM) in the future.

“I think it’s a very good day for Rio Rancho.”

Advising to never take voters for granted, Cleveland said she believes the reason the CNM question passed was because “CNM did a good job of getting their information out to people to read and decide. That’s real important in any election, so people can make a good decision.”

As a result of this approval, CNM will immediately begin implementing plans to build a CNM Rio Rancho campus on the 40 acres of land it owns at Rio Rancho’s City Center.

Bency said he hopes he’ll be teaching there, with 20 years at TVI/CNM and enough seniority, he hopes, to teach accounting closer to home.

“I asked to be (able to teach) on the West Side because I live here n they don’t have to do it,” he said, figuring how much gas money he could save with a five-minute drive to the new campus. “Being a CPA, I can teach any level of accounting. I have enough seniority to make those requests n 20 years.”

But more important, Bency said, is the immediate upgrade for the city.

“It puts us on the map as being a major city, on the par with Las Cruces,” he said. “It establishes that third leg with City Hall and the arena n it’s the third leg of that chair.”

“CNM is pleased to have the opportunity to better serve the Rio Rancho community with a full-service community college campus located in the new heart of the City of Vision,” CNM President Kathie Winograd said. “Approval of this district expansion will result in a new level of higher education access that Rio Rancho residents have not seen in their city before. It will also open the door for a groundbreaking collaborative partnership between CNM and UNM in Rio Rancho.”

“Now, things are going to start popping there,” Bency noted. “It brings t he energy from the city instead of going outward in every direction, to going inward n that’s critical.”

Eligible voters received their CNM District Expansion ballot in the mail in late October and ballots were due to the Bernalillo or Sandoval County clerks’ offices by 7 p.m. on Nov. 15. Ballots were marked In-District or Out-of-District, depending on whether the voter lived in the current CNM taxing district, which is based on the original Albuquerque Public Schools boundaries.

For the issue to pass, both voting groups had to approve. Eligible voters out-of-district, those residents north of Northern Blvd. in Rio Rancho, voted to be included in the CNM taxing district and increase their property tax by $119 per $100,000 of a home’s assessed value. With this vote, all of Rio Rancho is now included in the CNM taxing district.

The second group of voters, those already in the CNM taxing district, approved the addition of Rio Rancho residents that live north of Northern Blvd. to the district. Those who voted in this group consisted of residents in the original Albuquerque Public Schools district (Bernalillo County residents and Sandoval County residents that live south of Northern Blvd.). By approving this expansion, there are no new tax implications for those already in the current CNM taxing district.

By state law, CNM can only build facilities in their taxing district.  By approval of this election, CNM will now be able to build a Rio Rancho campus that will  provide certificate programs in business, health, technologies and trade occupations; a partnership with the University of New Mexico (UNM) that will provide opportunities for bachelor degrees in northern Rio Rancho; associate degrees in occupational fields and liberal and fine arts; general academic coursework that is transferable to UNM or other universities;  free tuition for occupational courses and adult developmental education including basic skills; GED instruction and college prep courses; apprenticeship programs in trade occupations; and college credit courses for current high school students.

Winograd, Bency and Cleveland weren’t the only satisfied

“I am pleased that both groups of voters supported this initiative. As the fastest-growing and third-largest city in the state, increased and easier access to higher education for our children is critical. This new campus will begin to address our needs,” said Mayor of Rio Rancho Mike Williams.

“I commend voters for making higher education opportunities more readily available in our community,” added city manager Jim Payne. “The addition of this campus to the city’s Downtown City Center, which already includes the Santa Ana Star Center and City Hall, will be another tremendous component as we continue with the development of this area,” said Rio Rancho City Manager Jim Payne.

The target date for opening the Rio Rancho CNM location is the spring 2010 term. UNM will also be offering classes at this site and is planning to use property they have in Rio Rancho’s City Center to develop a UNM West facility. The CNM campus will be located near Unser Blvd. and Paseo del Volcan.