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Columbus
has set the standard for education in Mississippi.
The
state’s first public school, Franklin Academy, was established
here in 1821. The venerable Franklin is still an outstanding public
school today. The nation’s first state-supported college for women,
now Mississippi University for Women (and smart men, too), began here
in 1884. The only laboratory school in the state, Demonstration School,
was established in 1907 and is still helping to train teachers today.
Grades K - 12
The Columbus Municipal School District is on a quest for excellence.
The mission is to “Provide a quality education for every child,”
so that they will be ready and able to compete in a global environment.
The city school strategic plan for 2000-2005 — capsulated here
— includes providing an instructional program that advances student
achievement in all areas; preparing all students to be proficient readers;
recruiting, developing and maintaining the highest quality administrators,
instructional staff and support staff; creating effective school/community
partnerships to ensure quality educational programs; providing educational
facilities that promote learning, safety and pride in the community.
Columbus Schools have 5280 students enrolled in 12 schools and one alternative
school. Columbus High School is new and state-of-the-art, with an 18
to 1 student-teacher ratio.
Children apparently learn here, if they have the desire. Lee Middle
School produced the world championship “Odyssey of the Mind”
team for 1997-98. Odyssey of the Mind, now re-named Destination Imagination,
is the world’s largest competition for creative problem solving.
Not only did this school have a team of world champions, but three different
teams of students qualified for the world competition.
Lowndes County School District serves more than 5400 students from Caledonia,
New Hope and West Lowndes. The West Lowndes High School is new, also,
and is quite proud of the biology, chemistry and computer labs, as well
as the ROTC lab.
The Lowndes County Schools offer “Writing to Read” programs
for kindergarten and first grade students. Tech Prep is a program that
introduces middle and high school students to the technology of the
work force. The schools in Columbus and Lowndes County emphasize their
belief that the future of this great nation depends on education and
a commitment to excellence.
Along with fine public schools, four private schools thrive here. Heritage
Academy, K-12; Victory Christian Academy, Pre-K-12; Immanuel Center
for Christian Education, Pre-K-12, and Annunciation Catholic, K-6.
Heritage Academy, founded in 1964, offers a teacher-pupil ratio of 15
to 1. The high school/junior high faculty consists of 27 certified teachers,
51 percent of whom hold MA degrees and above. Heritage offers Honors
courses in English, Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Foreign Languages
and four AP Courses.
Annunciation Catholic not only focuses on education, but on community
service projects, too. Children work with the Salvation Army, a local
children’s shelter, the Humane Society and more. Such projects
are part of the Catholic School mission to help others.
And then there’s the prestigious Mississippi School for Mathematics
and Science (MSMS), located on the campus of MUW. It’s the nation’s
fourth residential high school for academically able mathematics and
science students in grades 11 and 12. MSMS opened its doors in the fall
of 1988 and has more than 1,350 graduates in professions all over the
world. The focus at MSMS is to use “problem based learning”
to strengthen critical thinking skills. College Day at MSMS brings recruiters
from all over the United States to attempt to attract math and science
graduates to their school. This intensive recruitment of students is
a sound testament about the teaching/learning environment that exists
at MSMS.
Higher Education
How proud Columbus is to have the Mississippi University for Women in
its midst! There’s pride in its history and tradition of educating
women and equally as much pride in the school’s current achievements.
MUW, for the fifth consecutive year, is ranked the No. 1 Public Regional
Liberal Arts College in the South by U.S. News & World Report. MUW
is also ranked as a leader in academic excellence among peer institutions.
Affectionately called “The W” by those who know and love it,
the school began admitting men in 1982, though it still continues its
focus of providing an excellent education for women.
In fact, since 1920, the W has ranked as one of the top institutions
in the Southeast in the number of women undergraduates who go on to
earn Doctorates.
Continuing Education is also an important program offered at MUW. This
program appeals to retirees who want enhanced computer training, women
new to the work force, or those presently employed who want better training
for their jobs. The W offers a selection of classes that meet educational
needs, yet may be fulfilled during Evening and Weekend College. The
Chamber of Commerce addresses continuing education through the Education
Enhancement Committee and works on such projects as the Corporate Scholarship
Program, the Education Excellence Banquet, and Education Manufacturer
Day; the latter in conjunction with the Columbus-Lowndes Economic Development
Association.
The W offers 50 majors to its approximately 3000 students, from traditional
liberal arts to professional programs. More than 32 countries are represented
in the student body. The beautiful campus covers 104 acres, with 24
of its 61 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
East Mississippi Community College, a powerful two-year community college,
the fastest-growing in Mississippi, continues to break enrollment records
at the Golden Triangle campus at Mayhew. There are three campuses: the
main campus at Scooba, Columbus Air Force Base and Mayhew. Unprecedented
growth placed emphasis on the need for new buildings and classrooms,
more teachers and instructors, more parking spaces, but growth is progress
and progress means expansion, which has already occurred.
East Mississippi Community College, or EMCC as it’s called locally,
is a state leader in technical, industrial and vocational training.
The academic program is top-notch, too, with many professors holding
Doctorates, some of whom came from four-year universities. Of special
interest to local manufacturers is the innovative new Center for Manufacturing
Technology Excellence at the Golden Triangle campus in Lowndes County.
The Center for Manufacturing is a cooperative effort between area colleges
and universities, local industry and economic development organizations.
This “workplace specific” training responds to the needs of
industry and helps provide better-paying jobs for local residents.
Nearby Mississippi State University, only 20 miles west of Columbus,
is a national leader in the field of engineering and is the state’s
principal research university. MSU is also on the list of universities
receiving the most external funding for research and development in
engineering and science; it is prominent on the National Science Foundation’s
list of top research colleges in the nation. A faculty of about 800
instructs more than 16,500 students in ten colleges and schools. .
