Rep. Gillette Condemns ASU Lake Havasu Campus Closure

Arizona State University (ASU) announced its decision to close its Lake Havasu campus in the summer of 2025, a move impacting 225 students and 20 staff members. This decision is part of a broader response to recent state budget cuts that have significantly reduced Arizona’s funding for public higher education. Representative John Gillette (R-LD30) told The Arizona Globe that he strongly condemns closing the campus. The lawmaker believes this is “a poke in the eye to the reddest county in Arizona” for a political point.

ASU has been the recipient of investment from the state,federal government, and grants. ASU started this budget cycle with $560 M in cash, 1.3B in endowments. 90+ for-profit businesses. Many more non-profits are involved in politics with tax funds. How much in dollars is enough… https://t.co/43Nck7Xeix pic.twitter.com/pIdVHxynv8

— Rep. John Gillette AZ House LD30 (@AzRepGillette) September 24, 2024

Gillette expressed concerns over ASU’s decision to close the Lake Havasu campus in the strongest terms, stating, “We are deeply troubled by ASU’s surprise decision to close the Lake Havasu campus. Even more frustrating is that ASU’s financial standing clearly doesn’t justify such drastic action.”

He emphasized the state’s investment in higher education: “Since FY20, ASU’s budget has grown by 22%, and since 2015, it has increased by 40%.”

Gillette urged reconsideration, saying, “We call on ASU to immediately reconsider this closure… as it looks very politically motivated this close to the election.”

In addition to closing the Lake Havasu center, ASU will implement significant cuts due to reductions in public investment in higher education. A tuition surcharge of $350 will be added for full-time on-campus students starting in spring 2025. Additionally, around 800 new students will no longer receive support from the Arizona Teachers Academy, which has been instrumental in increasing enrollment in teacher-preparation programs. A $10.9 million reduction in funding for the Arizona Promise Program will likely impact over 2,600 students.

ASU President Michael Crow said, “ASU simply cannot be asked to fund the expansion of higher education across the state without state investment as a part of the financial structure to do so.”

In June, Arizona lawmakers wrapped up their session by approving a highly debated state budget, which Governor Katie Hobbs signed. She negotiated the agreement with House Speaker Ben Toma (R-Glendale) and Senate President Warren Peterson (R-LD12), with Democratic leadership and the conservative Freedom Caucus notably excluded from the talks.

Republican leadership lauded the budget for tackling a $1.4 billion deficit without raising taxes. The budget focused on maintaining fiscal discipline, prioritizing critical areas such as public safety, and expanding school choice initiatives. “This budget is a reflection of responsible governance—balancing the books while keeping Arizona’s future secure,” said Toma, reinforcing the budget’s emphasis on long-term financial stability.

However, the budget initially faced significant opposition. The Freedom Caucus strongly criticized the contents of the budget, claiming it failed to reduce government spending sufficiently. It also railed against the closed-door negotiation process. Democrats argued that the budget served only to secure key votes rather than address pressing social needs, with accusations of “buying Democratic votes” surfacing as part of their criticism. The state budget saw an increase of $274.4 million to “health and welfare,” largely attributed to the influx of immigrants.

Representative Gillette believes the University could sustain the Lake Havasu campus through private investment and making cuts elsewhere. “The private investment has already been made by Lake Havasu and ASU owned for profits. They failed to plan for anticipated inflation and expected the state to fund them at the same rate. They were cut 7%  they have 560M cash and 1.3 B in endowments they can use to get through the cycle.”