Welcome to KAWC’s Educating Yuma, a new program that takes a closer look at the schools, people and issues shaping Yuma's future.
This episode explores Arizona’s long-troubled system for funding public school facilities — the buildings, repairs, and infrastructure students rely on every day.
A landmark 1994 lawsuit forced the state to overhaul how it paid for school construction and maintenance. But over time, funding fell behind. In 2017, a new lawsuit argued that Arizona was once again violating its own constitution by failing to adequately support school facilities. In August 2025, a judge agreed.
KAWC Education Solutions Reporter Sisko Stargazer has spent the past several months since following up with Yuma schools to find out how the current system has affected them.
You'll hear voices from the Crane School District, Mohawk Valley School, Yuma School District One and the Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest + a school profile on Mohawk Valley School.
This program is supported by a grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation.
