In an effort to geographically expand its offerings, Northland Pioneer College, which is based in Holbrook, Arizona, is working on plans to build new facilities in Kayenta, some 173 miles to the north.
The school, which serves a student base located in Navajo and Apache counties, operates several campuses in a roughly 21,000-mile northern Arizona service area. The new building plans for Kayenta are designed to provide additional higher education classroom space in a town of around 4,700 people.
Those plans will see the construction of two structures in a growing industrial park near the Kayenta Indian Health Service facility, which is located at 394.3 U.S. Route 160, otherwise known as the Navajo Trail.
As anticipated, the project will see the construction of one building which will house classroom and lab space, and a second structure to serve as the new library for the town of Kayenta.
In a statement, Richard Chanick, the school’s head of workforce and economic development, said the project is the result of a spirit of cooperation between Northland Pioneer College and the Town of Kayenta.
“We believe this type of collaboration ensures the long-term success of the project,” remarked Chanick. “This project would not be possible without their support.”
Funding for the project has taken a significant step forward with the awarding of a nearly $9 million grant from the Arizona Commerce Authority. That funding is coming in the form of an Economic Resources Transition Grant.
An exact timetable for when work on the two new buildings will begin has not yet been announced. But earlier press accounts have reported that the facilities are expected to be completed by the spring of 2027.
Founded in 1974, Northland Pioneer College has an enrollment of around 6,700 students, up from the roughly 1,000 it started out with during its first semester. Near the end of its first year, the Arizona Daily Sun noted that the college’s philosophy was to provide leaning “where people live.”
That meant providing programs in such diverse fields as auto mechanics, welding, and emergency medical training via a series of mobile labs.
By Garry Boulard
