ASHDOWN, Ark.

Students can look forward to getting a start on a civil engineering degree at the Ashdown campus of Cossatot Community College now that Little River County voters have approved a sales tax to finance the program.

In a special election last week, 506 ballots were cast in favor of raising the county's sales tax by a quarter-cent on the dollar, while 341 voted against the proposal. That was a 59-41 margin.

"We have made some promises during this campaign regarding new programs and further developments to be made at our Ashdown campus, and we fully intend to keep those promises," said Chancellor Frank Adams, chancellor of the school that is part of the University of Arkansas system.

Adams said the civil engineering program will prepare students for careers in land use and surveying. The community college will also use the funds to improve the electrical apprenticeship, computer repair and other technical programs, he said.

The Ashdown campus will also add two more technical programs not offered at the community college's main campus in De Queen or at the Nashville site, Adams said.

Cossatot Community College offers technical certification and associate degrees on its campus at De Queen and at extension sites at Nashville and Ashdown. The total enrollment at all three campuses is about 1,200.

Adams said the community college is also discussing a partnership with the Department of Engineering at the Texarkana campus of Texas A&M. He said that partnership could provide students with the opportunity to pursue an associate degree in pre-engineering and a bachelor's degree in engineering at the Texarkana campus of Texas A&M.

The college will publish a financial report in the Little River News each July, Adams said. The report will let voters know where their tax dollars are going, he said.

- Associated Press