CTEC BUDGETED TO RECEIVE $1.3 MILLION IN 2018-19 FOR IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING FOOD SERVICE FACILITY

By R. Oliphant
Sunday, March 18th, 2018

$5.2 million spent on improvements at CTEC (probably more) in 2015 were just the beginning

Per the draft budget rolled out at the March 2018 Governing Board meeting, Yavapai College administrators will spend $1,339,510 on the Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) in overall improvements in 2018 – 19. Those improvements include $534,000 to install a new food-service facility at the Center. The administrators intend to spend $130,510 on new equipment and $675,000 to improve drainage and complete another new parking lot.

You may recall that that in September 2015 the College stated it had completed renovating and improving the Career and Technical Education Center by spending $5.2 million. At the time it boasted it was $150,000 below budget.

Since the 2015 announcement, there have been a plethora of additional high-cost capital items approved that are associated with CTEC. For example, in July 2016 the College announced it had completed replacing parking lots and upgrading rest rooms at CTEC.  It indicated it was in phase 2 of demolishing the front parking lot at CTEC. It added administrative space for the Joint Mountain Institute Joint Technical Education District offices at CTEC in 2016.

The actual costs for many of these projects and others for CTEC have been hidden from public view in the Preventative & Unplanned budget.  Until this year, that budget did not indicate what campus the millions of dollars contained in it were going.

Categories : Career and Technical Education, CTEC

MOVING NARTA TO PRESCOTT CAMPUS TO COST TAXPAYERS OVER $2 MILLION

By R. Oliphant
Sunday, March 18th, 2018

Prescott Valley training facilities once described as “state-of-the-art” to be left behind; new 2,500 sq. ft. building to be added on Prescott Campus for training 60 students a year

The Wills’ administration announced at the March 2018 Governing Board meeting that it has finalized plans to move the Northern Arizona Regional Training Academy (NARTA) from the Prescott Valley Center, where it has been located since 1996, to the Prescott Campus.  Per figures given the Governing Board, the College has budgeted spending $1,528,000 in 2018-19 and $509,000 in 2019-20 respectively to cover the costs of the move. The cost includes construction of a 2,500 square foot training facility.

Taxpayers will be picking up the $2 million-dollar price tag (no grant money).  NARTA runs for 20 weeks twice  a year and graduates about 30 students after each 20 week training program is completed.

The change in location is a part of the College’s 2013 multi-million capital development Master Plan, which is spending millions on the West side of the County for new parking lots, renovated and new classrooms and buildings, etcetera.

The Prescott Valley Campus has been described as a state-of-the-art training facility for NARTA.  However, the Master Plan justified the move as minimizing travel for faculty and students and locating a program on a campus with housing when a program requires housing. The Prescott Valley Chief of Police, Bryan Jarrell and the Prescott Chief of Police, Debora Black, both spoke to the Board at the March meeting and urged that it to approve the move.

NARTA acts as a regional training center serving city, county, tribal, and state law enforcement agencies throughout the state of Arizona. Recruits must be sponsored by an agency before entering the academy. Classes such as Drivers and Firearms Training and Stop and Approach are held at off-campus locations.

Categories : Construction, Ten year plan

COLLEGE TO SPEND $4.224 MILLION ON PREVENTATIVE & UNPLANNED MAINTENANCE IN 2018-19

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, March 15th, 2018

Verde Campus to receive about 6% of expenditures although it provides 30% of total tax revenue received by College

Yavapai Community College rolled out its proposed Preventive and Unplanned maintenance budget for 2018 – 19 at the March 6, 2018 Governing Board meeting. The College estimates it will spend about $4,224,000 for preventative and unplanned maintenance during that period. There appeared no opposition to expending this amount from the Board.

Although the Verde Valley property taxes make up about 30% of the tax revenue received annually by the College, only 6% of the Preventative and Unplanned maintenance costs will be spent on the Verde Valley Campus in Clarkdale and the Sedona Center. Below is the chart presented to the Governing Board by the College Administration.

Categories : Yavapai Community College

“SAFE,” “ANONYMOUS,” INVITATION ONLY PRIVATE FORUMS FOR “PUBLIC” SCHEDULED BY COLLEGE FOR APRIL 13 AT CAMP VERDE; APRIL 12 IN PRESCOTT

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, March 15th, 2018

Meeting private; no press or uninvited public allowed; Board members may attend; College will pick invitees from alumni and donors; others invited include Chamber of Commerce,  Mayors, Superintendents, City Managers 

Vice President of Community Relations, Rodney Jenkins, announced the scheduling of two alleged public forums to hear what the College described as “local feedback on the College’s performance and the role it can play in their communities going forward.” The College announced that the forums are private and neither the press nor the public can attend. Board members, however, can attend.

The College will decide who is invited and indicated its list includes certain members of the Chamber of Commerce, mayors, city managers, and superintendents. It will select certain alumni and donors. The individual views of the participants are to be kept anonymous from the public and contained in a report sent to the Governing Board. Board member Connie Harris described the event as “safe” with anonymous feedback.  Ironically, the Board and President Wills added that the event results should be “transparent.”

The west county forum will be held April 12, at the Prescott Campus Community Room, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. The east county forum will take place April 13, in the Verde Valley Campus Community Room, from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

The five questions participants will be asked to discuss follow.  Also, a short video of the College’s announcement made at the March 6 Governing Board meeting follows.

Here is the video.

Categories : Yavapai Community College

OVERALL ENROLLMENT DISTRICT-WIDE FOR SPRING SEMESTER ABOUT EVEN

By R. Oliphant
Sunday, March 11th, 2018

Sedona reports enrollment up by 2,000 percent

Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, Dr. Ron Liss, reported to the Governing Board at its March 6 meeting that current enrollment figures put the College “almost exactly even” with levels reported last year. He noted that enrollment at the renovated Sedona center is up by two thousand percent.

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Categories : Enrollment data

BOARD APPROVES THREE-YEAR LEASE AGREEMENT WITH RESA TO RENT 3,700 SQUARE FEET FOR 3D TRAINING PROGRAM AT CTEC

By R. Oliphant
Sunday, March 11th, 2018

Concludes deal begun in December 2017 for courses and training facilities; paid internships during training and jobs upon completion reasonably assured 

The Yavapai College District Governing Board approved (consent agenda, not discussed) a three-year lease agreement for the Prescott based RESA corporation to rent 3,700 square feet at the Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) at the Prescott airport. Recall that the City of Prescott approached the College in December 2017 on behalf of RESA asking for training assistance.  The College immediately responded and created a 14-week 19 credit training program in about a month. It also provided space and equipment at CTEC. (See Blog postings dated February 11 and January 25, 2018.)  

The technician internships that accompany the training program pay $14 an hour for from 16 to 20 hours a week.  Students spend their first three days of the week in training at CTEC and the second two days as paid interns working with RESA.  A $25 an hour job awaits at the Company for students who successfully complete the 14-week training program. The first training classes at CTEC begin January 29.

RESA produces mobile kiosks that utilize 3D printing technology to design custom orthodontic shoe inserts. It needs trained technicians as it attempts to expand the 3D kiosks into national and international markets. It reportedly already has 3D kiosks in Costco, Macy’s and Walmart stores.

The College has announced that the next student training recruiting event will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 7, at the CTEC Campus at the Prescott airport.

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Categories : Career and Technical Education

DOES THE FOLLOWING 50 POINT LIST SUPPORT CLAIM THE EAST COUNTY AND ITS 70,000 RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN “RIPPED OFF” BY THE WEST COUNTY?

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, March 10th, 2018

After reading through this list, can you explain why there exists the huge difference in the treatment of the West and East parts of Yavapai County?

Governing Board ends statement 3.3.4 “Although Board members are elected by individual Yavapai College districts, they will seek to represent the ownership as a whole rather than the people of an individual district. . ..  (Carver policy adopted by Board.)

State Law:  A.R.S. § 15-1444(A)(2)  provides that a community college governing board shall “adopt policies in a public forum to offer programs that meet the educational needs of the population served by the community college.” Those “needs” and the “population served” necessarily must include those on the East side, as well as on the West side, since the College’s service area is county-wide.”

So, East County, have you been ripped off?

  1. Campus location disparity. On the West side of the County there are three centers, a presence at Mayer High School & Spring Valley library plus an almost completely built out 100-acre main campus in Prescott. On East side of the County, there is a small campus in Clarkdale and a recently reopened Sedona Center.
  2. Policy. In September 2016, the Governing Board shut down the very effective and vocal Verde Valley Advisory Board to the Governing Board with the West County representatives voting as a bloc over the strong objections of the two East. County representatives.
  3. Policy. The West County voting bloc refused to allow an outside independent expert to determine whether the 70,000 residents living on the East side of the County could have the dignity of an administrative college.
  4. Policy. The Governing Board approved in concept in December 2013 a $103.5 million-dollar capital development plan with less than 5% of the development intended for the 70,000 residents living on the East side of the County.
  5. Policy. The Governing Board and Administration contemplated closing and selling the Sedona Center. It was left almost vacant of any credit classes for three years from 2014-17.
  6. The West County voting bloc approved imposing dual enrollment fees on high school students receiving college credit in courses taught at high schools by high school teachers  in March 2016 over the objection of the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee, all East County superintendents, and the two East County representatives.
  7. Policy.  The College Administration and Governing Board refused to consider looking at the potential of a small 37,000 square foot CTE facility on highway 260 on the east side of the County at the March 6, 2018 Governing Board meeting after encouraging the east side to seek out a building at the October 2017 Board meeting
  8. Revenue. Annually, the College collects about $14.7 million in property tax revenue (primary and secondary), from East County taxpayers. (Estimate provided by Yavapai County March 7, 2018.) This is 30% of all tax revenue collected for the College (includes primary and secondary revenue).
  9. Revenue. Student’s living on the East side of the County generate revenue that flows to the College annually from tuition, state aid and grants. This provides Yavapai Community College with an estimated additional $1.5 million to $2 million in revenue.
  10. Revenue not being returned. The total costs to annually operate and maintain the Verde Valley Campus in Clarkdale and the Sedona Center in Sedona are estimated at a little over $7 million. This leaves from $8 to $9 million usually not being returned to the East side of the County.
  11. Revenue not being returned. Over the past 10 years the Community College has collected from all sources on the East side of the County approximately $155 million. Of that amount it has spent about $75 million to operate and maintain the Verde Valley Campus and the Sedona Center. It has also used about $25 million in capital upgrades. This leaves approximately $55 million of East County revenue that was spent on the west side of the County.
  12. Yavapai-Apache Nation. The College athletic teams provide special training programs during the summer for youngsters of the Yavapai-Prescott Nation. No similar programs are offered on the East side of the County by the College for the Yavapai-Apache Nation.
  13. Yavapai-Apache Nation. The Yavapai-Apache Nation does not have a seat on the Community College Foundation Board. The Yavapai-Prescott Nation (West side) does have a seat on the Board.
  14. Facilities. Heated indoor swimming pool found only on Prescott campus.
  15. Facilities. Heated indoor therapy pool found only on Prescott campus.
  16. Facilities. An 1,100-seat dinner auditorium found only on Prescott campus (wine bars, etc.)
  17. Facilities. State-of-the-art Childcare Center found only on Prescott campus.
  18. Facilities. Student bookstore located only on Prescott campus.
  19. (16) Facilities. Two residence halls exist only on Prescott campus. No plans for a residence hall outside West side of County. In fact, Board indicated (March 6, 2018) that it would no longer consider constructing a residence hall anywhere in the district.
  20. Facilities. State -of-the-art exercise and health facility on Prescott campus with significant staff supporting it.
  21. Athletic facilities located where? Seven-court professional tennis complex on Prescott campus. Nothing similar anywhere else in County.
  22. Athletic facilities located where? Baseball field located on Prescott campus – no fields elsewhere.
  23. Athletic facilities located where? Softball field located on Prescott campus – no fields elsewhere.
  24. Athletic facilities located where? Two leased soccer fields. One in Prescott and other in Prescott Valley – no fields elsewhere.
  25. Athletic facilities located where? Gymnasium only on Prescott campus with seating for several hundred spectators.
  26. Athletic teams. Baseball team developed only on Prescott campus. Play no games on East side of County.
  27. Athletic teams. Volleyball team developed only on Prescott campus. Play no matches on East side of County.
  28. Athletic teams. Soccer team developed only on Prescott campus. Play no matches on East side of County.
  29. Athletic teams. Softball team developed only on Prescott campus. Play no games on East side of County.
  30. Athletes and coaches involved only in West side summer activities. Yavapai College offers a series of athletic activities over the summer months. However, the activities are offered at sites only on the West side of the County. No similar activities are offered in the Verde Valley or anywhere outside the Prescott/Prescott Valley area.
  31. Athletic scholarships. The Community College reports that it spent $598,052 in scholarships for athletes it recruited in 2017. The total budgeted scholarship amount was $877,000. These scholarships appear to be taking up around 68% of the available institutional scholarships (those financed by taxpayers) given out by the College. Consequently, most of athletic scholarship money is awarded on the West side of the County.
  32. Athletic recruiting. The College rarely offers an opportunity to a County High School graduate to play on one of its four teams. Consequently, virtually all scholarship support provided by East Valley residents in their property taxes flows to students outside Yavapai County.
  33. Accoutrements. Gorgeous sculpture garden found only on Prescott campus.
  34. Accoutrements. Concrete bleachers built into side of hill, so baseball field can be viewed from half block away.
  35. Accoutrements. Outdoor pavilion to show movies, etc. (There is a larger pavilion on the Verde Campus.)
  36. Accoutrements. Fully developed nature walking/exercise trail surrounding Prescott campus. Nothing similar elsewhere in district.
  37. Accoutrements (Community). Farmers Market at Prescott Campus.
  38. Accoutrements (Community). Host of Annual Prescott Film Festival.
  39. Accoutrements. (Community). Offers free “Curtain Up” Education Series to schools only on the west side of the County. Education programs for 2018 include two shows of: Bill Blagg’s The Science of Magic, Moon Mouse, A Space Odyssey, The Okee Dokee Brothers, How I Became A Pirate, Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Beauty and the Beast, The Musical, Petra and the Wolf.
  40. Accoutrements. (Community). Major concerts, theatre and programs from around the world on stage. A few examples include: Met Live in HD: La Boheme, The Sound of Music, Cal Poly Symphony Winter Concert: Soloist Showcase, The Improvised Shakespeare Company, CORE Dance presents Rhythms, Calmus with Organist Paul Woodring, An Evening with Captain Scott Kelly, Aquila Theatre – Sense and Sensibility, Met Live in HD: Semiramide.
  41. Centralized administration. Centralized administrative offices located on Prescott campus.
  42. Centralized administration. Centralized College Foundation offices located on Prescott campus.
  43. CTE. State of the art Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC). Absence of transportation, roads, and distance prevent East County residents from gaining easy access to it.
  44. CTE. Arrangement with local JTED allowing high school students on the west side of County to attend CTEC; NO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM EAST COUNTY ATTEND.
  45. CTE. Integrated CTEC curriculum with Mountain Institute JTED at CTEC.
  46. CTE. Located west County JTED administrative offices within College facilities, which affords greater cooperation and coordination. No similar effort on East side of County.
  47. Allied health. State-the-art Allied Health training facility in Prescott Valley. East County teaches Allied health but it’s facilities cannot compare with those at the Prescott Valley Allied health center.
  48. Student government. Student government development is concentrated on the Prescott campus.
  49. Where executives choose to live. All but one of the College executives lives in the Prescott/Prescott Valley area.
  50. Curriculum development. Concentration on Prescott campus to develop music programs/athletic programs to the exclusion of the remainder of the County.

 

Categories : Underserving the Verde Valley

DOOR SLAMMED BY COLLEGE STAFF ON POSSIBILITY OF LOCATING CTE FACILITY ANYWHERE BUT ON VERDE VALLEY CAMPUS IN CLARKDALE

By R. Oliphant
Friday, March 9th, 2018

Wills says she’s waited for three years for a CTE plan from V’ACTE but doesn’t have an acceptable one yet; McCarver says Board has no business discussing alternative CTE locations unless asked by staff to do so; Wills waiting for East County Superintendents view on centralized Campus; McCasland reminds Board that  East County has been asking for improved CTE for several years

Second District representative Deb McCasland asked the Yavapai Community College Governing Board at the March 6 meeting whether it would consider alternatives for the site of a Career and Technical Education facility on the East side of the County.  She commented that the Yavapai-Apache Nation and the Valley Academy for Career and Technical Education (V’ACTE) were interested in possibly asking the College to evaluate one of several buildings on the Highway 260 corridor for a central CTE facility. (Recall the  College located a West County  CTE facility on a separate campus at the Prescott airport several miles from the main Prescott Campus.) 

The response from the College staff was unambiguous. They said that their only consideration for a CTE facility on the East side of the County was Building “L” located on the Verde Valley Campus in Clarkdale. They listed several reasons for this decision including renovation and operational costs, available space and driving distance. 

President Wills said she has been waiting for “three years” for a CTE plan from V’ACTE but has yet to receive one that she finds acceptable.  She also said that almost ten of the top 12 priorities for the East side of the County were being addressed. West County Board Representative Pat McCarver said that the Governing Board had no business discussing alternative locations for a CTE building.  That, from her perspective, was the sole prerogative of the staff.  Only if the staff made a recommendation to the Board for purchase of a building should the Board act.  Representative McCasland indicated her dissent from McCarver’s view but no one else on the Board joined her.

Wills also indicated that she is waiting for a response from the East County superintendents as to whether they even want a centralized CTE facility over there.

A ten-minute video of the entire discussion follows below.  A tiny portion of the discussion where Representative Ray Sigafoos explained his prior statements regarding $5 million for purchase of a building has been edited out and will appear in a separate video on the Blog.

 

 

Categories : Career and Technical Education

DISTRICT GOVERNING BOARD MEETS TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2018 AT 1 PM

By R. Oliphant
Sunday, March 4th, 2018

How to spend millions in new capital spending for the coming year on the agenda; Ribbon-cutting ceremony for multi-million dollar new and renovated buildings 1 and 15 at 4 PM

The Yavapai Community College Governing Board will hold its March 6 meeting on the Prescott Campus, at the Rockhouse beginning at 1 PM. The Rockhouse is located at 1100 E. Sheldon St. The public is invited and may speak for three minutes to the Board at the open call on any subject.

The Community College Administration will unveil its plans to spend several million dollars during the coming year on capital projects at this meeting. The plans are not detailed in the published agenda for the meeting but will most likely be presented via PowerPoint slides.

The general meeting will be followed at 4 PM by a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new and renovated buildings 1 and 15 on the Prescott campus. The cost for renovation/new construction for these  buildings is unclear although it is estimated the Community College may gave spent from $4 to $6 million on them.

Categories : Meeting Notice

BEAVER CREEK ASSOCIATION THANKS COLLEGE FOR TWO USED TABLES

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, March 1st, 2018

Part of $121 cost of expanding library facilities at Beaver Creek school; County Library District, Beaver Creek school and Yavapai College partnered on project

Janet Aniol, representing the Beaver Creek Community Association, thanked Yavapai College at the February Governing Board meeting for contributing two used tables to help with expanding the library facilities/learning lounge in Beaver Creek. She explained that the tables would be placed in the new learning lounge.

Ms. Aniol also explained that the new learning lounge space, which was provided by the local school,  was painted and furnished using Craigs List by the school superintendent  for $121. She said the Association reimbursed the $121 to the superintendent and added that it has provided six laptops for use in the learning lounge. She expressed her sincere appreciation to the College for its assistance.

The Blog notes the difference in the College’s  financial contribution to this project and that of the Spring Valley project on the west side of the County discussed in two earlier posts.

A short video regarding Ms. Aniol’s speech to the Governing Board follows below.

 

Categories : BEAVER CREEK
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