Central School District
The Central R-III School District has been recognized for Distinction in Performance by the State Board of Education for 12 consecutive years. The high school has been recognized by the Southern Region Education Board as one of the top 10 high schools in Missouri for four consecutive years.
U.S. News and World Report named Central as one of the top high schools in the nation. Each year, several seniors earn their Associate of Arts Degree prior to graduating by participating in a joint program with Mineral Area College.
The football team is a consistent state playoff team, winning district championships seven of the last eight years. In the 2014-2015 school year, the Central Lady Rebels basketball team became Class-3 State Champions. The boys’ basketball team has won districts three of the last five years and each year several wrestlers and track participants compete for state championships.
The Central R-III School District offers a great opportunity for students to maximize their full potential in a nurturing academically centered environment.
Central Methodist University
CMU partners with Mineral Area College to offer fully accredited degree completion programs at the MAC campus in Park Hills.
With a wide range of bachelor’s and master’s programs, plus unmatched convenience and affordability, Central Methodist’s College of Graduate and Extended Studies is committed to supporting the unique needs and success of every student. Over 20 different undergraduate degrees are available, along with four graduate degrees. Visit www.centralmethodist.edu for more information or call (573) 518-2112.
Mineral Area College
Looking for convenient, affordable, high-quality education that will put you to work or successfully transfer you to a four-year university?
Look no further than Mineral Area College, near the Park Hills-Leadington exit on U.S. 67. The community college has its roots in Flat River Junior College, founded in 1922. Outreach centers are in Farmington, Fredericktown, Perryville and Potosi.
Two-year degrees and certificates are offered in academic transfer programs and vocational-technical programs. Bachelor’s and master’s degrees are offered in partnership with Central Methodist University and University of Missouri-St. Louis. In Senior Scholars, those age 65 or older can take classes without having to pay for tuition.
The community can take advantage of the college’s trap-and-skeet range, gun range, quarry pond for fishing, disc golf, greenhouse, fine arts theater, lecture halls and community meeting spaces.
To tour the campus, or for more information about the college, check out www.MineralArea.edu, or call (573) 431-4593.
Missouri Baptist University
Missouri Baptist University’s Farmington Regional Learning Center offers students the convenience of achieving an undergraduate or graduate degree at a location most convenient to them. Courses are offered Monday through Thursday evening and students have access to a computer lab during the office hours.
Upper division courses offered are part of the 2+2 partnership program, meaning you can transfer general course-work credit to MBU. Classes at this location are taught by experienced faculty members from the university’s main campus and other select educators from St. Francois, Washington, Jefferson and Madison Counties.
The Chamber’s Scholarship Fund
Each year, the Chamber awards one $2,000 scholarship ($500 per semester renewable for up to four semesters) to one Central High School graduate planning to attend Mineral Area College, Central Methodist University
or Missouri Baptist University. Community involvement plays an important role in the selection committee’s decision to choose the scholarship recipient. Community pride, beatification and participation are all very important to the Chamber.
Another aspect of the scholarship emphasizes the importance of being an active member of the community by requiring the scholarship recipient to attend and/or volunteer at one Chamber Investor Meeting, and one Chamber-sponsored event, such as the Firecracker Run or Trivia Night.