Builder pledges money to college

Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2005 | 9:21 a.m.

Centex Homes has pledged $125 to Nevada State College in Henderson for each home the company sells over the next two years.

With 2,600 homes expected to close, that's about $325,000 payable in monthly installments to the college, Nikki Liesse, Centex operational marketing manager, said. Centex has been closing about 90 homes a month.

By investing in education from kindergarten to college, Centex President Brad Burns said his company hopes to improve the quality of life for its homeowners.

"If education continues to improve, it's better for all of us," Burns said Monday morning following a commemoration of the donation at the base of the college's undeveloped 500 acres on the outskirts of Henderson.

Burns posed for photos on the site with Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson and Nevada State College President Fred Maryanski, just south of the renovated vitamin factory the college calls home. College officials are busy redesigning a liberal arts building for the site and working on plans to create an entire college town on the property.

Gibson said the donation would accelerate the college's progress.

The money from Centex is unrestricted and will go to developing new programs at the college and to working with the Clark County School District.

The money may also help the space-crunched college offset leasing costs until its first building is completed, spokesman Spencer Stewart said.

About 1,600 students enrolled in the college this fall, Maryanski said, a 42.7 percent increase over fall 2004 enrollment. About 400 of those students are in nursing and another 200 are in teaching.

Located mostly in the northwest part of the valley with a future project planned in Henderson, Centex homes run from the mid $200,000 to mid $400,000 range, Liesse said.