ALBUQUERQUE
Voters have approved the expansion of Central New Mexico Community College's tax district into northern Rio Rancho.
The mail-in vote, tallied Tuesday, clears the way for the college to build a 40-acre campus in Rio Rancho.
CNM president Kathie Winograd said the expansion will mean more educational opportunities in Rio Rancho and opens the door for a collaboration between the community college and the University of New Mexico.
An agreement between the college and UNM calls for the two schools to establish a campus in Rio Rancho. The campus would be built and owned by CNM, but both schools would offer courses there.
The target opening date is spring of 2010.
Voters were eligible for the election if they lived in the college's current district or in the proposed northern Rio Rancho district.
By state law, CNM can build facilities only within its taxing district, making the addition of the Rio Rancho area necessary before the new campus could be constructed.
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