Education  

                                    Public School Systems

Public elementary and secondary education in St. Francois County is provided by five school districts:  Bismarck R-V, Central R-III, Farmington R-VII, North County R-I and West County R-IV.  All five districts are accredited, the highest rating given by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.  In addition to excellent educational programs, public schools in St. Francois County offer a wide variety of athletic, cultural and extra-curricular activities.  Special educational opportunities available in St. Francois County range from remedial reading and gifted education to speech pathology and special education programs.

                                      St. Francois County

                     School District Enrollments and Ratings, 2002

 

A significant number of St. Francois County high school graduates continue their educations after graduation.  Of the graduates of the class of 2001-02, an average of 14.9% planned to attend a 4-year college/university, 42.3% planned to attend a 2-year college/university, 3.6%  planned to attend a post-secondary (non-college) institution, 30.4% intended to enter the work force, 4.3% planned to enter the military and 4.8% planned to follow other pursuits.  Graduation analysis information is included, by school district, in the chart below.   

 

                        St. Francois County Graduate Analysis

                                          Class of 2001-2002

 

                          Private School Systems

Private education is also available for grades K through 8 at several schools in the County.  These include St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Bonne Terre, St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Farmington, St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Farmington, and the Seventh Day Adventist’s School in Farmington.  Head Start programs are also available in the County under the direction of East Missouri Action Agency. 

                       Career-Technical Education

Career-technical training opportunities in a wide range of skill areas are available at both the secondary and post-secondary level in St. Francois County.  The UniTec Career Center, located between Bonne Terre and Desloge on old U. S. Highway 67, offers both long-term day programs designed to meet the needs of students and short-term adult preparation and retraining programs to assist adults seeking career changes and advancements.  The UniTec Career Center currently offers 19 full-time courses.  Other programs, including customized training, are available to assist both students and industry.

                         

Mineral Area College  

With a consistent enrollment of 3,000 credit students per semester, and approximately 1,500 non-credit students per year, Mineral Area College has grown in size, service and effectiveness for more than eight decades.  The community college offers superb and rigorous instruction, leading to a certificate, degree, or transfer to a four-year institution.

Headquartered in Park Hills, and with outreach centers in Fredericktown, Potosi, Winona and Perryville, Mineral Area College is the premier provider of customized training, community and workforce development, career services and placement, and continuing education in the Southeast Missouri region.

Whether taught via Web, interactive-television, or traditional classroom teaching, Mineral Area College courses have prepared thousands of students to meet the region’s business and technological demands of today.

A leader in the “two-plus-two” model of education, Mineral Area College offers students the opportunity to complete their two-year and four-year degree goals on the same campus.  Bachelor’s degrees are offered on campus through a partnership with Central Methodist College.  Bachelor’s and master’s degrees are also available through Southeast Missouri State University, University of Missouri-St. Louis and University of Missouri-Rolla.

Several local businesses and industries can attest to the importance of Mineral Area College in employee development and training.  The college has assisted local employers with achieving ISO9000 registration and compliance, and has been the only provider of instructor certification seminars for Achieve Global leadership training.

Mineral Area College has developed long-term relationships with some of the major employers in the region by offering flexible programs for general employee development and for those students wishing to pursue an A.S. or A.A.S. degree.  Programs can be offered either at the college or at the employer’s site and can be tailored to meet almost any need which the employer or employees may have.

More information can be attained by contacting Mineral Area College at (573) 431-4593.