Gainesville — North Central Texas College regents Monday night appointed Christy Morris to fill the unexpired term of regent Lynn Williams who resigned in March. Morris will serve on the board through May 2013.

She is a graduate of Lindsay High School who earned a finance degree at Baylor University.

The board also approved a resolution to provide notice of intent to approve a lease-purchase contract for a building on NCTC’s Flower Mound campus.

The lease-purchase agreement would amend the current rental arrangement for the two-story building at 1200 Parker Square in Flower Mound.

“The contract is currently under lease right now for ten years for a lease only,” NCTC Dean of Administrative Services Dr. Steven Broyles said. “ It’s just like renting a house or apartment. At the end of ten years you don’t own the building.”

Broyles said the agreement will allow the college to enter into a lease-purchase plan under which NCTC regents could later opt to purchase the building.

“We have the option to go into a lease-purchase agreement which will allow the college after ten years to purchase the property at declining amounts or go ahead and pay the 20 years out and at the end of the 20 years buy the property for $1,” Broyles said.

He pointed out local tax payers will not foot the bill for the building.

“There are no tax dollars involved because this is down in Denton County,” Broyles noted. “This is paid for only by tuition and fees, money (paid) by the students.”

Final approval for the deal could come 60 days after a notice of intent is published in area newspapers.

Savings to the college could be as high as $200,000 per year.

After some discussion, the regents agreed the lease-purchase is a good idea.

“Sounds like a win-win situation to me,” Vice Chairman Dave Flusche said.

“I don’t see how we can go wrong,” Regent Ken Coolen added, “We gain equity as we go.”

In other matters, the regents got a look at the college’s new website which debuted April 1.

Improvements to the site include links to the college’s campuses in Gainesville, Flower Mound, Graham, Corinth and Bowie.

The board also heard from Gainesville City manager Barry Sullivan who was on hand to explain a tax abatement application from BMCA Gainesville LLC.

The abatement will offer some benefits both to the city and the NCTC system.

Sullivan said BMCA officials plan to build a new facility in Gainesville and add at least 18 jobs.

The abatement proposal passed 5-0.

Regents Lynn Williams and Karla Metzler were not present.

The college is also hoping to streamline its financial aid verification process following the 5-0 approval of a contract with Global Financial Services.

Verification is a process which allows college financial aid offices to check information submitted in a random sampling of student aid requests.

Contracting with Global Financial Services would speed up the college’s verification process and eliminate the need to hire seasonal workers to verify certain information submitted by financial aid applicants. Verification is designed to ensure students supply accurate information on their applications for assistance.

The regents also:

• Approved a contract with Great Western Dining — the company which provides meal services on the NCTC Gainesville campus. The new agreement includes a five percent price increase. Information supplied by the college indicates Great Western Dining had not raised its rates the past two calendar years.

• Approved a renewal with TASB (Texas Association of School Boards) Risk Management Fund for property and casualty insurance.

• Approved a new tuition rate schedule for 2012-2013. Rate changes include a $2 increase in the general use fee which is charged to all students per semester hour, a $1 increase per semester hour for out-of-district tuition, an $8 increase per semester hour for out-of-state tuition, a tuition and fee rate of $37 per semester hour for in-district and $72 per semester hour for out-of-district students. In addition, the regents approved allowing out-of-state dual credit students to pay a discount rate of $72 per semester hour and to waive tuition and fees for dual credit students who are eligible for the federal free or reduced lunch program.

• Considered revisions to board police regarding student scholastic dishonesty. No action was required on first reading of the proposal.

• Set the May board of regents meeting for 4 p.m., Thursday, May 10. The meeting will be held prior to one of the college’s Gainesville campus commencement ceremonies.

• Approved a slate of 2012-2013 administration and professional contracts for the NCTC Gainesville campus.

• Accepted the resignation of associate degree nursing instructor Fran Perdue.

• Approved a contract for Brandy Fausel, Matrix grant specialist. The length of the annual contract is contingent on continued funding for the grant.

Guests recognized prior to the meeting include a group of NCTC athletes who have received honors for their work in the classroom. Volleyball players Courtney Haney and Michelle Blount were both named Academic All-Conference. Both have signed letters of intent with Midwestern State University.

Tennis players Pri Rijal and Mel Telfer have both been named Academic All-Conference. Rijal will attend Coastal Georgia University, while Telfer will attend Alabama State University. Baseball player Mike Chamberlain was named Academic All-Conference and Academic All-American. He has signed with Houston Baptist University.

Not present were softball players Brittany Wilson and Bailey Brantley, who have both been named Academic All-Conference. Wilson will attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University, while Brantley plans to attend the University of Texas at San Antonio.