In December of 2017, the Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District Governing Board voted 4-0 to consolidate the school district with the Mingus Union High School District.
A public vote was supposed to be held on Nov. 6, on whether the districts would consolidate despite objections of the MUHSD Governing Board, but was canceled after a successful lawsuit by MUHSD.
At a board meeting on Nov. 6, the intended day of that aborted election, the COCSD board reaffirmed their support for school district consolidation, voting unanimously to seek consolidation.
“In accordance with Arizona Revised Statute §15-459, the Governing Board of Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District hereby requests that the Yavapai County School Superintendent [Tim Carter] call an election to determine the question on consolidation of Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District with the Mingus Union High School District at the Nov. 5, 2019 election,” read the motion passed by the COCSD board. Carter acknowledged his office’s receipt of the district’s request.
COCSD board members expressed a desire not necessarily for the consolidation itself, but to ensure that voters in the district have a chance to decide themselves.
“I want to be clear that this motion says that we want the people of the district to make this decision,” COCSD board member Eric Marcus said. “We are not recommending either pro or con, yes or no, consolidate or don’t consolidate. We are simply saying that this is such an important decision that we as a board believe that this decision needs to be made by the people in the district.”
If the MUHSD board similarly votes in favor of consolidation, the decision will be sent to voters next November without needing a new petition drive. However, if the MUHSD board repeats their previous vote against consolidation, it will require a new petition drive in order to get the consolidation vote on the November 2019 ballot.
The Committee for Better Upper Verde Valley Schools, which ran the petition drive in advance of the planned vote for November 2018, has not yet begun circulating petitions for a second petition drive, but has expressed a desire to get consolidation back on the ballot with some of the issues from the last round clarified.
“We again are requesting that both school boards [MUHSD and COCSD] approve a resolution in the next couple of months to allow the taxpayers a chance to vote on consolidation next fall,” the committee wrote in a press release. “If not, then the committee is prepared to pull petitions early next year to collect signatures to get this matter back on the ballot for the Nov. 5, 2019, election.”
“Our public schools need to consolidate and streamline their schools to be more efficient and accountable in providing education to our students. The time is right to consolidate. More information will be forthcoming from our committee.”
COCSD board members disputed some of the arguments made by anti-consolidation advocates, such as the MUHSD board, that the consolidation effort could lead to a loss of funding for the involved schools.
“With all the study that’s been done on this issue, we do not find that it would be harmful to the education process for these students or we wouldn’t be asking for this step,” COCSD board member Jason Finger said.
“The action we took this evening showed continued support for the community’s request to ask us to support their efforts,” COCSD Board President Joanne Cook said. “We’re continuing this support even with a new board member. This is the second time we’ve voted a unanimous vote in favor of supporting the community effort to have this question go to the community to vote on this.”
Jon Hecht can be reached at 634-8551, or
email jhecht@larsonnewspapers.com
