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

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.