GROWING POVERTY AMONG CHILDREN IN VERDE VALLEY SHOULD ALARM EVERYONE

Cottonwood-Oak Creek Assistant Superintendent addresses Governing Board on how poverty is affecting children in his District and the efforts being made to deal with it

Yes, lots of children are doing “fantastic” in the Verde Valley.  However, “there is a significant and growing population of our students who are not doing alright.’  They are being left behind in a pretty substantial way.  They are slipping into what is called `generational poverty.’”  That was the message of Acting Cottonwood-Oak Creek Superintendent Steve King when he addressed the Yavapai Community College Governing Board on May 9, 2017. 

Mr. King emphasized that the problem of poverty is extensive and growing in the Verde Valley and must be addressed by everyone – from pre-school to post-secondary educators and others.  He lauded the recent efforts of the Cottonwood-Oak Creek school district to address the issue by dealing with the whole child in a supportive fashion.

 Mr. King’s report (edited for time) to the District Governing Board on poverty in the Verde Valley from his perspective can be viewed below.