Coastal Bend College
Coastal Bend College, formerly Bee County College, is a public community college that has its main campus in Beeville, Texas, and branch campuses in Alice, Kingsville, and Pleasanton, Texas.
As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of CBC is:
- All of Bee, Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells, Karnes, Live Oak, and McMullen Counties,
- The Pleasanton Independent School District, located in Atascosa County, and
- The Kingsville, Ricardo, and Santa Gertrudis school districts, located within Kleberg County.
History
The Bee County Junior College District was created at an election on November 2, 1965. That election resulted from several years of study and work to establish a community college for Bee County. Support was shown in an overwhelming five-to-one majority for the creation of the district. The desire for a community college was demonstrated again on December 7, 1965, when district citizens approved a tax to support BCC, and to issue bonds to build the college.The board of trustees selected Grady C. Hogue as the first BCC President. BCC opened in September 1967, with 790 students, 24 full-time instructors and 11 part-time teachers.
The board of trustees officially changed the college name from Bee County College to Coastal Bend College effective September 1, 1998. The name change was made because the service area was extended by an act of the Texas Legislature in 1995.