Along with serving as one of the primary economic engines of southeast Kansas, education is the foundation of the Pittsburg area’s future. One of six Kansas Regents Universities, Pittsburg State University continues to report record enrollment. The university reported a fall 2007 enrollment of 7,087 students and continues its commitment to provide the finest facilities and faculty for its students. In January 2008, the Princeton Review’s annual rankings of American colleges and universities again named Pitt State as “Best in the Midwest” for a third consecutive year. The Review based its rankings on student surveys, which asked students to rate their schools on several topics and report on their personal experiences. Topics include: academics/administration, life at the school, their fellow students, and themselves. The growth at Pitt State is evident by the impressive amount of construction on and around the campus. On the heels of last October’s opening of the $5.7 million Tyler Research Center, Pitt State will unveil its new 97,000-square-foot Student Recreation Center/Kansas Army National Guard Readiness Center. The project represents a $15 million investment for the university and is expected to open in May 2008. Pitt State’s growth has also spurred the area housing market. The Quad Cities-based Oxbow Development Corporation has begun construction on an upscale, 108-unit gated apartment complex with two commercial strips to be located just south of the PSU campus. The development is in response to the increased demand for student housing brought on by the explosive growth at PSU and will be open to students by the fall 2008 semester.
The Pittsburg area also features top-quality primary education. USD 250 (Pittsburg Community Schools) boasts over 2,600 students and 500 employees working daily to provide a first-class teaching and learning environment for students pre-kindergarten through the senior year of high school. USD 250 students are served in four elementary schools, a middle school, a high school, and an alternative education setting. All facilities have been renovated or newly constructed since 2001 and contain the latest equipment and technology for facilitating student inquiry and learning. Approximately 60% of USD 250 staff possess a master’s degree or higher, which showcases the district’s immensely well-trained and experienced faculty.
USD 249 (Frontenac) has been rich in tradition for many generations. The staff and parents work cooperatively to establish a partnership that ensures a quality education. Over the past several years, the district has implemented a research based curriculum in both math and reading. Students are achieving at a higher level than ever before as documented by recent Kansas State Assessment scores, with Standards of Excellence in Mathematics and Writing. USD 249’s technology programs are state-of-art and have been visited by schools from all across the country.
USD 247 (Cherokee) is a district of 300 square miles, serving approximately 805 students in grades Pre-K through 12. Communities within the district are Cherokee, McCune, Weir, and West Mineral with Cherokee, McCune, and Weir being locations for K-8 attendance centers. All centers within the district are accredited by the Kansas State Department of Education and provide a great comprehensive education through academic and vocational course offerings as well as a wide range of clubs and athletics.
USD 246 (Arma) serves Arcadia, Arma, Franklin and Mulberry and recently unveiled an aggressive strategic plan of action.
Don’t forget about the area’s top-notch parochial schools. St. Mary’s Elementary School and St. Mary’s-Colgan High School are not tuition-based, but rather are supported by Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and its stewardship program. Each family who sends their children to our schools agrees to the principles in a signed covenant and agrees to maintain a tithe to the parish. The schools feature an enrollment of 550 children, along with over 40 teachers and administrators and a combined annual parish and school budget of over $2 million. The elementary school class size is less than 24 and the high school classes smaller still.
Covenant Harvest Church offers K-12 classes and preschool classes for children ages 3-5 years old. They are located at 615 South Highway 69 in Pittsburg.
The Southeast Kansas Education Service Center at Greenbush is the site for unique learning facilities such as the Wm. L. Abernathy Science Center and rain forest, Mission Space Station, PSU/Greenbush Astrophysical Observatory, and Greenbush Archeological Dig. New to the Greenbush Campus will be biotechnology labs and a MediaGlobe Digital Planetarium especially designed to increase student achievement in math and science. Learning opportunities for students are by no means limited to the Greenbush Campus. The Greenbush Interactive Distance Learning Network, Virtual Prescriptive Learning, Migrant Education, and Virtual Greenbush provide students across the state with curriculum and learning experiences ranging from algebra and history to career/technical education and foreign language instruction.
Regardless of which of our communities you choose, the Pittsburg area’s dedication to educational excellence is unmatched.