Here are ten common-sense reasons why the 70,000 Yavapai east-county residents deserve to be the captain of the direction of the community college ship on their side of Mingus Mountain

For the past 50 years, West Yavapai County politicians have maintained iron-fisted political control over community college development in Yavapai County. This has resulted in the development of a first-rate community college campus plus three outstanding centers on the west side of the County. However, the east side of the County has been marginalized. 

Now, with a population of over 70,000, the east side of the County is ready for its turn in terms of serious development.  A first step would be creative development of an administrative college run by administrators living on the east side of the County who cooperate and work together with the west side of the County. Astonishingly, it would only require three votes on the current Community College Board to set in motion the creative development of an Administrative College.

Unfortunately, if the Governing Board and the Community College President are unwilling to creatively develop the college on the east side of the County, then it is time for east side residents to seriously seek state legislation to enact a separate taxing district to support badly needed community college development.  The following are ten reasons supporting the conclusion that it is time for development of an Administrative College on the east side of the County.

1. Philosophically, there are few virtues more important than independence. An Administrative college, with its limited independence on the east side of the county, would reflect the values and culture of the residents it is intended to serve. It would be independent from having every action affecting the east-county residents filtered through the Prescott based college administration. That administration, almost naturally, history tells us, is quick to fall prey to heavy west-side influence. Without independence, the control yoke around the necks of east-county residents will never be removed and there is no hope of countering the west-county influence on the college administration. An administrative college is a gentle beginning.
2. With a population of over 70,000 residents, the east-county can easily support an Administrative College. Revenue to support the east-county community college will come from primary and secondary taxes already being paid by east county residents, most of which remain on the west side of the County.  More specifically, an Administrative College would return some of the $7 to $8 million annually paid by east county residents in taxes but retained and used on the west side of the county. In addition to these taxes, the east county residents would receive revenue generated from tuition paid by east-county students, state aid, government grants, and a portion of the County new construction tax. Without question, there is ample revenue to support a strong Administrative Community College on the east side of the County.
3. An Administrative College will provide focus so that serious consideration of the development of a centralized College Career and Technical Education Center (CTE) can be undertaken. Because of local focus, attentiveness and involvement, its development can be undertaken with the cooperation and input from the four high schools (3 public, 1 private) and the Yavapai-Apache Nation. With this input, the facility will be better able to reflect the present and future CTE needs of the east-county residents. It is noted that today, the College operates one of the finest Career and Technical Education Centers in the nation at the Prescott airport on the west side of the County. However, that Center was opened in 2007 with little or no consideration for the east-county residents and high school students.  Since opening, it has provided hundreds high school students on the west side of the county with sophisticated learning opportunities that opened to them job opportunities that are not available to students on the east side.  That inequity in training must be ended.
4. An Administrative College will generate east-county pride. It will give east-county residents their own community college “identity and traditions.” Most believe that students attending an educational institution like to feel that it has its own traditions, its own plan, and its own programs. They don’t like to feel that their community college is just an off-shoot or branch of another controlling institution. An East side Administrative college will respond to these feelings by generating its own identify and own traditions.
5. An Administrative College provides an opportunity for the Administrative College President and staff, who reside on the east side of the County, to gain intimate knowledge of east-county culture, needs, and values. An Administrative College President living the Verde Valley is in a much better position to understand the culture of the east side of the County than, for example, an Executive Dean or college president who lives in Chino Valley, Prescott or Prescott Valley, on the West side of the County. With that knowledge, an east side President can respond to the cultural diversity of the east side of the county in a way that an administration located on the west side of the County, no matter how it tries, will find extremely challenging.
6. An east-county Administrative College will improve communication between east-county residents and the college and result in the east-county citizen voices being heard and respected. One example of how little the east county is respected by the current Administration and three-member voting block representing the West side of the County is the record of the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee. This Committee was recreated to explain to the Governing Board the needs of east-county residents. However, repeatedly over a two-year period (2014-2016) recommendations were made to the Governing Board by the Committee and ignored by the West-County Voting Bloc who are a majority on the Board. For example, Mr. Paul Chevalier, speaking for the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee (VVBAC), suggested at the November 9, 2015 Governing Board meeting that the Governing Board, College administrators, and the VVBAC hold a series of joint meetings to work out solutions to the VVBAC’s 16 recommendations for improving post-secondary education on the east side of the county. Mr. Chevalier stated that to resolve the post-secondary educational issues raised by the VVBAC, it would take cooperation among everyone to solve them–the Board, the administration, and the VVBAC. He invited everyone to consider a joint meeting to discuss the issue. However, that cooperation and joint meeting never came.  In fact, the VVBAC was shut down by the west county majority at an almost secret meeting in September 2016 over vigorous objection of the two east-county representatives.
7. An Administrative College will improve the economy on the east side of the county. An Administrative College can be a vehicle that becomes a driving economic/educational engine similar to the. economic/economic engine now existing on the west side of the county. Recall that a community with a strong community college economic/educational engine receives many benefits including: (a) an almost recession proof employer with a healthy employee payroll, (b) an employer who is able to help stimulate the local economy because its employees provide an increased demand for housing, food, autos, etc., (c) an employer who delivers educational programs that stimulate educational development for students and nonstudents in the area, (d) an employer that attracts new residents because of the community college reputation, which in turn brings new revenue to a community, (e) an employer who produces a well-educated work pool, which in turn attracts new employers, (f) an employer can help sell an area as a welcome tourist destination, and an employer attuned to the cultural needs of the area.
8. An Administrative College will provide greater access to post-secondary education for the residents and children on the east side of the county. Clearly, with a full service program, access to post-secondary education on the east side of the county for the poor, working mothers and fathers, and part-time employees seeking training for new job opportunities will be improved. Currently, this is often not possible for east-county residents because of an absence of many good roads, public or college transportation, and distance. These obstacles prevent those seeking post-secondary education from having reasonable access to learning opportunities that would advance them in this society.
9. An Administrative College will provide an opportunity for closer and better coordination between the four high schools on the east side of the county, the Yavapai-Apache Nation, and Yavapai Community College. Close, intimate working relationships between the high school superintendents, the Nation and Yavapai Community College staff are essential for strong, focused educational development. With an Administrative College, and its ability to focus only on east-county issues, this type of cooperation will be possible.
10. An Administrative College will provide focused examination of the many needs and projects associated with serious east-side development.  Some of the potential projects include:  Expanding the vineyard to 50 acres to develop 300 to 500 new scholarships from profit; building a unique, self-sustaining residential facility with many uses to house a core student body of 150; consideration of a 450 seat theater along with development of a serious performing arts and music program; centralized CTE campus; more and better courses, etc.