Defiance - 2003 Community & Resource Guide

The education of people is well provided for in the Defiance area. Opportunities to learn are available for all ages, from kindergarten through college. Local industries offer plenty of on-the-job training. Defiance schools offer a broad curriculum, and student achievement is above the state average.

Five public school districts serve Defiance County, including Central Local, Ayersville Local, Northeastern Local, Hicksville Exempted Village and Defiance City. Defiance also has four parochial primary schools: two Catholic, one Lutheran and one Church of God.

Northwest State Community College is conveniently located 20 minutes north of Defiance. Defiance College is in the city. Additional higher- education opportunities are available at Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo.

The Defiance City School District has four elementary schools, a middle school (grades 5 and 6), a junior high school (grades 7 and 8), and a four-year high school. The public school system’s enrollment is approximately 2,600 students.

Four-County Vocational School District serves students in the Defiance area, offering 28 trade specialties to high school juniors and seniors along with adult education in standard and custom-designed programs.

An important educational component of the Defiance community is a grassroots organization called Defiance 2000. The group is a cross-section of business and industrial leaders, government officials, social-services personnel, local educators and private citizens who work toward a shared vision that supports the local educational base. Perhaps the most notable achievements of this organization are the mentoring program and the Neighborhood Learning Center, from which hundreds of children receive additional assistance with their schoolwork.

Northwest State Community College offers programs in business technologies, engineering technologies, and health- and human-service technologies, as well as customized training for business and industry. As a public, two-year state college, NSCC is dedicated to the philosophy that education is a lifelong process. The college is committed to excellence in education by providing relevant, state-of-the-art programs, courses and seminars that are accessible and affordable to students working to achieve their personal goals.

Defiance College is a four-year liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students. Defiance College has established a cooperative education program with local business and industry; accelerated Business Management and Master of Arts in Education programs are also available.

Defiance College sees its mission as preparing students who will graduate not only prepared for the world of work, but also prepared to be active participants in their communities. The college is included in the John Templeton Foundation Honor Roll of the Nation’s Highest Character-Building Colleges.

The college’s five signature academic programs are accounting with CPA track; criminal justice; elementary education; social work; and restoration ecology.

The Defiance County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities operates the Good Samaritan School through generous taxpayer support. Services are provided on a non-discriminatory basis to pre-school and school-age students as well as to adults, including senior citizens. Good Samaritan also offers family-resource, case-management and supported-living services to county residents.

The Defiance County Agricultural Extension Service also offers many workshops and seminars throughout the year.