Editor’s note: Midland College releases Board of Trustees meeting minutes in the agenda packet for the following meeting. As a result, The Permian Press received the June 23 minutes in the Aug. 18 meeting agenda.

What happened: The Midland College Board of Trustees met Tuesday, June 23, and approved an agreement with an architecture firm to begin design work on a new Applied Technology Complex, a career-and-technical-education facility the college revived after voters rejected its $450 million bond proposal in May 2025. The college plans to fund construction with oil and gas revenue rather than through a new bond or tax.

The board also renewed the contract of college President Damon Kennedy.

Key points:

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  • Applied Technology Complex: Trustees approved an agreement with an architecture firm for design services for the Applied Technology project, as previously reported by The Permian Press. The college estimates the project will cost between $47.4 million and $53.68 million to build, roughly $300 per square foot. The college said it will fund construction through oil and gas revenue.
  • 2026-27 preliminary budget: Trustees approved a preliminary budget for fiscal year 2026-27 that reflects anticipated increases in operating costs. The preliminary budget proposes a 3% salary increase for full-time employees and an 8% increase in health insurance costs. College staff said that Midland College is one of eight Texas community colleges set to receive a small increase in state funding.

Before approving the preliminary budget, the board directed the administration to return with a proposal to increase the pay raise to 5% for all full-time employees.

  • President’s contract: Trustees voted to renew a three-year employment contract for college President Damon Kennedy.
  • Williams Regional Technical Training Center: The meeting opened with a presentation by the director of the Williams Regional Technical Training Center, the college’s branch campus in Fort Stockton. The director presented an overview of the center’s history, enrollment trends, and program offerings.

In 2026, 21 Pecos County dual-credit students earned Associate of Arts degrees and 73 earned workforce certificates. The center projects additional growth through new dual-credit partnerships with Fort Stockton and Buena Vista ISDs. Programs in nursing and petroleum energy remain important to the center but face challenges in faculty recruitment and retention, according to the presentation.

  • Facilities spending: Trustees awarded a $286,000 contract for new lighting at the college’s tennis courts, funded by donations. Trustees also approved a $476,000 contract to install synthetic landscape turf on the berms at the Chaparral Center, paid from current budgeted funds.
  • Classroom, workforce spending: Trustees approved virtual reality instructional software, curriculum, hardware, and training services for use in immersive learning across college programs, funded by a grant from the Abell-Hanger Foundation.

Trustees also approved $17,900 in salary supplements for 23 employees at the college’s Pre-K Academy and Helen L. Greathouse Childcare Center, from the Permian Basin Workforce Development Board as a longevity incentive, not from college operating funds.

  • Operations and equipment: Trustees approved an equity lease agreement with Enterprise Fleet Management to replace and manage the college’s vehicle fleet, funded through budgeted funds. Trustees also approved the purchase of a skid steer and a mini excavator for campus maintenance, at a total of $123,000, funded through current operating funds.