Educational partnerships facilitated through the Yavapai County Education Service Agency (YCESA) benefit schools and the public throughout the county in many ways.
Not the least of these is financial. YCESA voluntarily works with 11 non-profit or philanthropic organizations at the county and state levels.
“It is safe to say that some of these organizations would not exist, especially within Yavapai County, if the YCESA were not providing support for what they do. By our being somewhat of a focal point – a collaborative partner at no expense – we’re able to facilitate programs, activities and shared resources with diverse groups and organizations,” said Tim Carter, Yavapai County superintendent of education.
Carter says the actual dollar value of the services the YCESA provides is likely in the hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, if the various organizations had to pay for those services.
“What we’re proud of is this: what we are doing is not a statutory for the agency. It’s not a requirement. Our personnel is not paid for what they do for these groups. But it’s something we do because it’s good for kids and it’s good for education – at all levels,” Carter emphasized. “Sometimes I wonder what would happen if these organizations didn’t do what they do. What would it cost taxpayers if these organizations didn’t exist?”
Carter says the 11 organizations are as different as water and vinegar in their organizational structure, their missions and their operations. He notes that each has its own board of directors, officers, bylaws, budgets and organizational objectives and missions.
“I guess the commonality among them is that each organization has the ultimate goal of doing something to benefit education in Arizona,” he said. “But make no mistake – each is distinctive and unique.”
Carter was adamant, too, that the YCESA is “…not the decision maker for these groups. We’re more the facilitator, the partner who can help make things happen.”
Forest Fee Management Association Handles Millions Annually
Carter used the Forest Fee Management Association as an example.
“To my knowledge, the group is unique in the nation. Several years ago, school districts in Yavapai County decided it was better to cooperate rather than compete for the distribution of forest reserve monies intended for schools. That is why now, the 25 county school districts elect a democratically selected management board to decide how to distribute those monies.”
He explained that on Sept. 8, FFMA will meet to distribute more than $1.8 million among school districts. The YCESA serves as an unpaid fiscal agent and has no control over funding decisions.
Another example Carter cited of an organization using the YCESA as a fiscal agent is the Yavapai County Education Foundation.
The non-profit foundation raises money each year to provide teacher and school grants to qualified applicants in Yavapai County. Last year, it granted almost $22,000 to county schools, he said.
The “big show” for the YCEF is the annual Teacher of the Year Recognition dinner, at which outstanding teachers from all grade levels in the county are honored with prizes and cash awards every spring.
Partnerships are Local, Statewide
Some partnerships with the Yavapai County Education Service Agency are direct and involve strong interaction between the organization and the YCESA. Others are indirect; the YSESA cooperates and coordinates to facilitate services, inform and expedite assistance to be provided. The YCESA serves as an unreimbursed fiscal agent.
All partners can be reached via the contact information provided below.
Partnership Support
- Arizona Ready was created in 2011 as an education reform plan to meet the needs of students, parents, teachers and parents as it monitors the state’s progress toward its educational goals, ArizonaReady.com.
- Expect More Arizona is intended to foster shared and collaborative action among partners statewide as advocates for Arizona students to strengthen the economy and quality of life for everyone, expectmorearizona.org.
- Yavapai County Community Health Services contributes to the well being of people of Yavapai County by offering quality integrated primary health services. YCHS has offices in Prescott, Prescott Valley, Cottonwood and Chino Valley, yavapaihealth.com.
- YRMC Mobile Kids Health Clinic provides a free Mobile Health Clinic to schools throughout Yavapai County when schools are in session. Parents need to be in attendance.
For more information go to: yrmc.org/support-and-community/parthers-for-healthy-students/mobile-clinic.
YCESA is Fiscal Agent and Facilitates Services for These Organizations
- Education Scholarship Endowment-Yavapai County is a private non-profit foundation that provides scholarships to qualified Yavapai County students pursuing teacher training programs at accredited colleges or universities, education-scholarships-yavapai.org/scholarships/current-teacher-scholarships
- Forest Fee Management Association provides administrative support to an elected management board that promotes shared educational funding among school districts in Yavapai County, ffmayavapai.org
- West Central Regional Service Center supports, through a voluntary association, Yavapai, LaPaz, Mohave and Yuma counties by offering vital services and superior training to teachers through a cost-effective delivery system, azregionalcenters.com/wcrsc
- Yavapai County Charter School Association was founded as a voluntary organization to meet needs and interests of charter schools, yccharterschools.org
- Yavapai County Education Foundation promotes recognition and awareness of professional educators through an annual program of teacher and school grants and through the Teacher of the Year Recognition program, ycfoundation.com
- Yavapai County Educational Technology Consortium was organized as a voluntary educational cooperative program to share technology among district and charter schools, colleges and universities and libraries, ycetc.org
- Prescott Granite Mountain Hotshot Memorial Education Fund was created after the tragic deaths of 19 crew members who died fighting the Yarnell Hill wildfire. This organization provides educational funds for families of the firefighters, carter@yavapai.us
Carter, a native Arizonan and a career educator and administrator, concludes that working with each of the various partners was a “…dynamic, not static, opportunity to help prevent voids in Yavapai County education.” QCBN
Story by Ray Newton