For 45 years, the focus has been on Prescott to the detriment of the Verde Valley  

Occasionally, a skeptic appears who questions the view that the Verde Valley is being underserved by Yavapai College. To this doubting Thomas, I say: “Just look at the facts.” If you do, you will find an unmistakable 45-year pattern of underservice. In fact, since the beginning of the County Community College system in the late 1960s, the goal has been to build a first-class community college in the Prescott area while simultaneously underserving the Verde Valley.

A combination of political domination, cynical public relations manipulation, and unimpeded opportunity have allowed Prescott to achieve the goal of creating a thriving community college climate on the west side of the county while quietly but effectively suppressing significant development in the Verde Valley. Along the way, the administrators have mined the Valley for excess property tax money while grabbing local student tuition and state aid to use on Prescott projects.

In the last decade, the administrators have reduced classes in the Verde Valley by around 80 percent, closed the Camp Verde campus, and attempted to close the Sedona campus. They have consistently built educational facilities and developed educational programs for Prescott area citizens to the exclusion of Verde residents. This pattern of underserving the Verde Valley continues to this very day as the analysis that follows makes so clear. Read More→