Education  Mercer County knows that an excellent education provides an assurance of a bright tomorrow. The city’s commitment to education began in the late 1700s when it was thriving as Fort Harrod. Jane Coomes, a Catholic from Maryland, was the first teacher and taught using a primitive version of the Old English Horn Book. The book was made of clapboard and formed in the shape of a paddle, with its handle whittled to fit the children’s fingers. Children used these books to learn their ABCs, arithmetic and the Lord’s Prayer. Education has since come a long way, but the focus has remained strong. During the 1990s, the state government implemented the Kentucky Educational Reform Act. Since the act passed, test scores and academic achievement levels have continued to improve yearly. There are three public schools and one private school in the county. The Burgin Independent District has a total enrollment of almost 400 students. The Harrodsburg Independent District has nearly 1,000 students. The largest district is the Mercer County School District, with an enrollment of over 2,000. The private school, Central Kentucky Christian School, has an enrollment of just over 30 students. Class sizes average 16 students per teacher, and are very low when compared to the national average of 23 students per teacher. The Burgin Independent School is home to grades preschool through 12. Although the school is housed in only one building, there are three individual levels: Elementary (P–5), Middle (6–8) and High School (9–12). Each level meets in a separate part of the building, with its own distinct bell schedule, lunch schedule and programs, thus maintaining the traditional feel of three distinct schools. Burgin schools have small class sizes, with an instructor-to-student ratio of approximately 11-to-1. In addition to the one-on-one attention students are given, there are several programs and offerings that help meet each student’s individual learning needs. An alternative calendar helps students keep a high morale and a refreshed learning attitude throughout the school year. School begins in early August; after each nine-week session, a two- to three-week break is scheduled. During break, students in grades 7–12 can elect to participate in remediation classes for three hours per day. Students are instructed from a core curriculum of English (reading and language arts), math, science and social studies at Burgin School. The staff believes these are the basic building blocks of any education and continually research the most current trends and training in order to give each child the best and most up-to-date education possible. In addition to the core curriculum, classes are offered in art, physical education and health, foreign language, band, vocational education, home economics, and honors/advanced placement. There are also a number of extracurricular activities and clubs for the students. They can choose from marching band to student council, with over 10 clubs in between. Beginning in elementary school, children are given the best possible education in the Mercer County School District. With small class sizes and a strong emphasis on reading and writing, student test scores for Mercer County Elementary remain above the state average in language arts, math and reading. The staff of Mercer County Elementary School realizes the importance of technology. The school serves students from preschool through 4th grade, and every student spends time in a computer lab at least once every six days. Here they learn the basic computer skills needed to compete in today’s high-tech world. Each classroom has computers, and there are several digital cameras available for use throughout the school. As part of a well-rounded education, Mercer County Elementary offers extracurricular activities as well. Students can participate in the HI TECH Club, the Academic Team, the Mercer Youth Sports League, 4-H, Scouts and Conservation. The elementary school has received numerous awards, including recognition as an Academics Reward School and is a Three Bienniums District Governors Cup winner. The quality education also shows through the many conservation, spelling bee and 4-H winners attending the school. Mercer County Elementary operates on an alternative calendar. School begins in early August and continues for nine weeks. After the first nine weeks, staff and students take a two-week break. After this break, the school operates on a similar schedule to other schools in the area. The Kenneth D. King Middle School teaches students in grades 5–8 in a modern, 88,000-square-foot facility. Each grade level meets in a separate wing, with the center of the school devoted to exploratory classes in art, music, physical education, computers, industrial technology and family/consumer science. Staff members at King Middle provide a challenging and diverse learning environment and are committed to helping their students succeed. This is evident through state and national test scores which are above average. The school also prides itself on the extracurricular activities it offers. Numerous awards have been won in sporting events, art, music and film. The faculty and staff at Mercer County High School believe in all their students and know that each student can be a success. They take the time to assist each student in attaining academic goals and preparing to enter college. The mission of teachers at Mercer County High School is to promote the behavior, knowledge and attitudes that will foster students’ abilities to contribute to a global society. Their commitment shows in the school’s high state and national test scores. Students are well-prepared to meet the needs of a high-tech global society when they leave Mercer County High School, due to the emphasis on technology-in-learning in the classroom. In addition, there are many extracurricular activities offered to give the students a well-rounded education. Students do very well in academic and athletic competitions around the state. The Harrodsburg School District is equally successful in its mission of teaching and preparing the youth of Mercer County to meet the needs of tomorrow. High test scores, skilled teachers and advisers, and a variety of activities come together to ensure students a successful school experience. In the Evan Harlow Elementary School, students in preschool through 5th grade receive an excellent education. Staff at Evan Harlow realize the importance of a varied educational experience and have established a number of programs to accomplish this. Students can learn using up-to-date technology equipment as well as an outdoor lab with a greenhouse and garden. The school has received several awards for excellence in teaching, such as Presidential Awards for Educational Excellence for Exiting 5th Graders, Presidential Awards for Educational Improvement, Academic Area Awards and many others. The Harrodsburg Middle School serves students in grades 6–8. It is a year-round school operating on an alternative calendar. The schedule allows teachers and students to tackle an intensive academic curriculum while still remaining motivated and mentally refreshed each term. During school breaks, remediation is offered to students to further ensure success in the classroom. Harrodsburg High School is also a year-round school. Faculty and staff work to provide a challenging curriculum while preparing students to meet the ever-changing needs of life after high school. The staff at Harrodsburg High is committed to the success of their students, as is evident through test scores. Students scored well above the state average in math, science, social studies, arts and humanities, and writing. Student Council, the Pep Club, the French Club and the National Honor Society are just some of the extracurricular clubs offered at Harrodsburg High School to help students receive a well-rounded high school experience. Graduating seniors regularly receive scholarships to colleges and universities each year. For those seeking higher education, Mercer County is in the middle of it all. Harrodsburg is home to Harrodsburg Applied Technology Center, and there are 24 additional technical schools within 60 miles of the county seat. There are also 25 colleges and universities within one hour’s drive. Students can attend a large four-year university, such as the University of Kentucky, which is only 28 miles from Harrodsburg and has an enrollment of almost 25,000; or stay closer to home with Centre College, which is only 10 miles away and has an enrollment of just over 1,000. The local technical school, Harrodsburg Applied Technology Center, has a yearly enrollment of around 400 students. Residents of the county don’t have to look far to pursue dreams of higher education. In addition to formal schools, there are several training options available in Mercer County. One such program is the Bluegrass State Skills Corporation (BSSC). In 1984, the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky realized the need for additional training options. They formed the BSSC as an independent, de jure corporation whose function is to stimulate the economic development of the state. The BSSC does this through customized business- and industry-specific training programs. Matching grants and the Skills Training Investment Tax Credit are the economic development tools used by the BSSC. The grant program is available to new, expanding and existing business and industry, and can provide pre-employment skills training and assessment, entry-level skills upgrades, and occupational upgrade training. This is one of several educational programs used in the county to ensure the workforce is well-trained for an increasingly technical job market.