Says high schools need to ask their foundations to support the poor and economically challenged families

On February 3, 2015 Yavapai Community College President Penelope Wills answered questions about post-secondary problems, which were put to here by the Blue-Ribbon Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee.  One of those questions asked whether the College would give special consideration to the poor and economically challenged families whose children wanted to take dual enrollment courses but could not afford the new fee the College intends to impose on them.

Wills’ made it clear she has little sympathy for their plight. Her bottom line solution to paying for the College credits was to have County High School Foundations, if they exist, provide for them.

In her response to the VVBAC question, which you can listen to in full by clicking here, she listed a number of gripes she had with the County High Schools over this program.  They included:  

• Some High schools are irresponsibly “going wild” when asking for dual enrollment classes.
• Some students don’t have “skin-in-the-game,” which probably means she believes they don’t take the courses seriously unless they have to pay something for them.
• Students are “skipping” Yavapai Community College after graduation (anyone wonder why?)
• Administrative costs have suddenly mushroomed, with her estimate being that it now costs $300,000 in administration to run the program.
• Offers by High Schools to take over administration costs have been rejected by the College because not all High Schools have the capability of providing the data.
• The College doesn’t get tuition from the students (even though it doesn’t provide faculty, rooms, utilities, transportation, etc.)
• The best success for dual enrollment programs is to hold them on a college campus.

Does just released data from June, 2015 audit question or support that view?  What about 1996-2005 data?

On February 3, 2015 Dr. Penelope Wills answered questions about a variety of issues put to her by the Verde Valley Governing Board Advisory Committee.  One of them involved the dual enrollment program.  During her response, she suggested that the programs are now big and suddenly costly.

However, data just released by the auditors in a report dated June, 2015 (represented by the first chart below) seems to raise some question about the sudden growth of dual enrollment. This is particular the case since in May, 2013 the College appeared happy with a report that found it was essentially breaking even with the dual enrollment program.  The auditors used Full-time-Student-Equivalent as the marker.

Note the headcount enrollment figures beginning back in 1996 and leading up to 2006–a period without a recession.

Make you own conclusion:  Is Wills’ correct when she lays blame for the decline in student enrollment to the fact the state has moved out of the 2007-2010 recession?  What about the enrollment prior to the recession?  

Says dual enrollment fee may inhibit sustainability of dual enrollment program

Mingus Union High School Superintendent, Dr. Paul Tighe, speaking to the Governing Board at its January 12, meeting, opposed any fee being placed on the dual enrollment programs by the College.  He stated that the expenses for the dual enrollment program are almost “entirely” born by the school districts. 

Dr. Tighe addressing the Board

He pointed out that the High Schools pay the teachers, provide the space, desks, textbooks, and transportation.  “The prospect of adding a fee directly to the students for what appear to be administrative and support expenses is of concern,”  he said.

He also pointed out that the fee would “be a barrier for the opportunity of students” to take college credit classes.  He said that he and the Verde Valley superintendents would “hate to see that happen.”

Dr. Tighe explained that last year there were 1,361 college credits obtained by high school students in the dual enrollment programs in Mingus Union High School alone.   This is roughly $115,000 savings to the taxpayers in the district, he said.

He asked that the Administration reconsider passing on any fees to the high schools in the dual enrollment program. {The administration rejected his suggestion during the meeting by insisting on a $10 per credit fee be added beginning the fall of 2016.}

Superintendent Tighe’s brief statement to the District Governing Board may be viewed in full by clicking here.

“Another way [to] squeeze every dime from the Verde Valley while giving us little to nothing in return.”

Christoper Fox Graham

In an editorial in the Redrock News of January 13, 2016 the managing editor, Christopher Fox Graham, lamented the Community College decision to charge Yavapai County high schools for operating dual enrollment programs.  Graham wrote that the fees were  “another way for Yavapai College to squeeze every dime from the Verde Valley while giving us little to nothing in return.”  He charged that President Penelope Wills’ claim, which was made during a tour of Verde Valley towns and cities some months ago, that she wanted to “assist our communities” was a farce.

Graham also charged that President Wills’ is “lining the pockets of the Prescott area college without any added benefit to our communities. Now Wills has gone from ignoring the Verde Valley to doing the opposite of taxpayers’ desires.”

He suggested that “If the college doesn’t repeal this fee structure, it would make more sense for Verde Valley school districts to simply cut ties with Yavapai College and instead partner with Northern Arizona University or the University of Arizona for their dual enrollment classes. NAU and the U of A would love to start building relationships with our students and dual enrollment is the best way to start.”

You may read the entire editorial by clicking here. 

Arrogance and disrespect for Verde Valley views hallmark of Prescott Administration’s decision to charge high school students fees in dual enrollment classes

The Penelope Wills’ administration announced at the December 8, 2015 Governing Board meeting that it was moving ahead on charging each high school student who takes a dual enrollment class at a high school in Yavapai County at least a $10 per credit fee. In doing so, the decision  reflects an unparalleled level of arrogance and disrespect for citizen concerns about the cost of  education  in the Verde Valley. 

HIDING FACTS? 

Scott Farnsworth, the interim Vice President of Instruction and Student Development made the fee announcement to the Governing Board.   He told the Board that “we’ve had conversations with principals and superintendents both, and looking at all the varying differences that are out there, we’ve asked in moving forward for a ten dollar per credit hour charge for dual enrollment classes.” He went on to say that “most of the superintendents and high school principals we visited with about this recognize where we are and that there are costs associated with dual enrollment.”  (You may view his entire dual enrollment presentation to the Board by clicking here.)

What he did not tell the Board is that: 

All 8 Verde Valley superintendents opposed the College assessing a fee on high school students in dual enrollment classes.  (A letter opposing the fee signed by them is included at the end of this story.)

He also did not tell the Board that:

The Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee, consisting of citizens from throughout the Verde Valley, unanimously opposed setting a fee for dual enrollment students. (A letter signed by them opposing the fee is included at the end of this story.)

When Representative Deb McCasland raised a question about the letter signed by the 8 superintendents opposing the fee increase, the Board lawyer ruled her question out of order.

Farnsworth attacks student motives.   

It is a fact that no serious study of dual enrollment in the County has been undertaken.  Yet, without an analytical basis to support his views, Farnsworth attacked the motives of many students who take dual enrollment classes. He stated  that “students will take a class

not because they are particularly interested in it, or that they need it, it’s because their friend is taking it, or they heard it was kind of fun, or it’s an opportunity for them to kinda get out of the normal classroom day.”

Farnsworth suggests only money will bring students to their senses.

Despite the absence of a study of dual enrollment and its pros and cons in the County, Farnsworth plowed ahead giving his unsupported view that “the minimal amount that we are asking, ah,  

is gonna to provide a little bit of skin in the game for these students and their families. That they recognized that once they start, ah a college education, that it becomes a part of the permanent record.”   

In an interview given to the Verde Independent, Farnsworth elaborated on his view for the need to pay for high school dual enrollment saying that:  “There’s that old adage that if you don’t pay for something, then you don’t value it, so we want students to recognize that, hey, this is a college education, there’s some worth to that.”  Apparently, if this view is applied across the board to education, without “skin in the game”  students won’t take their education seriously.  Umm–think about it.

Unelected College bureaucrat may impose fees (tuition)  on public schools without citizen or Board approval

In a demonstration of arrogance and total independence from what citizens in the County may think about public education,  Dr. Penelope Wills stated during her interview with the Verde Independent that imposing a fee on students in public high schools is completely at her discretion—neither the board nor citizens can do anything to stop her.  The reporter wrote that she said the new dual enrollment fee  “does not need to be voted on and approved by the DGB to take effect.”  She also stated to the reporter that the matter is “being handled internally.” You may view the entire story in the Verde Independent by clicking here.

Read More→

Wills’ administration’s insatiable appetite for revenue driving College to demand a $10 per credit fee; Trust issues arise from disparity in information

By now, everyone knows that the Dr. Penelope Wills’ administration has an insatiable appetite for more and more money to finance building projects in Prescott without interference from County residents. For example, in February, 2015 the Wills’ administration persuaded the West voting block to approve a tuition increase despite slipping enrollment (3-2 with Sedona/Verde Valley representatives voting against increase).  In June, 2015 the administration sought and obtained approval from the District Governing Board to increase property taxes (3-2 with Sedona/Verde Valley representatives voting against increase).

During a meeting of Sedona/Verde Valley high school superintendents’ last week, interim College Vice President of Instruction and Student Development Scott Farnsworth indicated the College was demanding a $10 per credit fee per student for allowing the high school dual enrollment program to continue.  This was met with opposition from the superintendents who explained that the high schools are currently struggling to survive under the strain of enormous educational funding cuts by the State. The superintendents  were apparently given one-year to decide whether they would go along with the College’s demands.

In an earlier letter sent to the superintendents, the College stated that if the schools paid the per credit per student $10 fee, it “would not award any scholarships.” This appears to be a  kind of punishment for not agreeing to a larger fee to be assessed of $25 per credit per student.

Trust issues:  The figures provided the superintendents raise fundamental issues of trust.  County-wide, the College claimed in a recent letter to the superintendents it is spending $82,000 in stipends for the dozens of high school teachers who are teaching dual enrollment classes.  This figure is in sharp contrast to the presentation made in May, 2013 to the College Governing Board where the College stated that “High school Dual Enrollment a stipend, this year total stipend – $57,750.”  Click here for the May, 2013 agenda where you will find the $57,750 figure, page 94).

Since the May, 2013 detailed report to the Governing Board, the College has come up with new figures that add over a quarter million dollars in costs to the program.  Even if true, it is not even a blip on the radar of the $84 million total annual College budget.

The College also claimed in its recent letter to the superintendents that that it receives “Reimbursement from the state – $37,000.”  However, in May, 2013 it reported to the District Governing Board that “FTSE reimbursement [from the State] for Dual Enrollment resulted in $63,777.00.” Click here for the May, 2013 agenda, page 94).  Because of the wide disparity in these figures, an issue of trust is obviously raised.

If the fee is imposed by the College, High schools, such as the Camp Verde District will be forced to pay out about $10,000 annually.  Something its superintendent states it cannot afford.  The V’ACT superintendent reports it may cost a single student taking a CTE course at a high school in the Valley as much as $150 in an additional fees to complete. 

The College ignores the fact that taxpayers are already providing a huge subsidy to the Community College—about $44 million annually in primary property tax revenue and it is spending it on such projects as a professional tennis court–it has no tennis team.

Huge high school contribution. The College also ignores the fact that high schools provide the College without cost the following: (1) Classroom space, (2) heat/air conditioning, electricity, (3) desks, (4) technology, and (5) a qualified teacher, (6) tutoring, (7) counseling and (8) transportation.  In addition, courses are taught by college certified high school instructors using the college curriculum and text. Students learn and adapt to the rigors of college course work while in a familiar setting. Students learn skills and behaviors that will aid them in college. Having taken college courses will ease students’ fears about college. The challenging courses enhance high level thinking skills and provide incentive to advance beyond the high school level. Transition from high school to college begins early and occurs conveniently in a familiar, comfortable environment.

Frankly, the dual enrollment program, where the College provides a $500 stipend to a high school teacher for teaching the College course, should be a fertile recruiting ground for the College.