Lone Star College's Magnolia Campus Is Open, and It's Built for Local Jobs

The Lone Star College–Magnolia Center at 1280 Escondido Drive opened its doors for the spring semester, which began January 20. It's a 50,000-square-foot building, and by the start of that first term it had more than 100 students enrolled. After years of Magnolia families driving the kids out to the Tomball or University Park campuses, the closest Lone Star is now a short trip down the road.

What sets this center apart is the focus. It isn't trying to be a small version of a big campus. The programs leading the way are workforce tracks the area is short on: Emergency Medical Services, and Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration. Both lead to certificates and degrees that put a person to work locally, not someday in another city.

The HVAC side is moving fast. An Occupational Entry Certificate class started this summer, and students who finish it can roll straight into the Residential Servicing Certificate beginning in the fall. That's a clear, short ladder: a student can start in June and be working toward a paying trade by the time the corridor's new buildings need their air conditioners serviced. In a town adding rooftops as fast as Magnolia is, an HVAC tech who trained five minutes from home is a good bet.

If you want to see it before signing up, the campus is holding an open house on Tuesday, July 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. It's free. You can tour the facility, talk to an advisor about programs and class schedules, and ask the questions that are hard to answer from a website. For families weighing a four-year school against a faster path into a trade, an afternoon walking the building is worth more than a brochure.

Beyond the open house, the center lists its programs and class schedules at lonestar.edu/magnoliacenter, and you can reach the campus by phone at 346-654-7100.