Education

West Point & Clay County

• West Point School District (WPSD) - www.westpoint.k12.ms.us

The following are just a few of the West Point School Districts' many quality academic programs:

• QUEST Gifted Education Program – Prepares intellectually gifted students in the 2nd – 8th grades to live responsible, productive and meaningful lives by maximizing their potentials. For additional information call 662-494-6372.
• ICS Headstart – The Institute of Community Services, Inc. (ICS) was established in 1966 to provide comprehensive child-development services to children and families in Northwest Mississippi. Please call 662-494-4985.
• Excel By 5 - In 2007, West Point was certified as the second "Excel By 5" city in the State, recognizing its active support of the role parents and others play in children's formative years. West Point and Clay County offer several outstanding K-12 public, private and parochial school options. Contact Sherri White at 662-494-0964
• Career & Technology Center – Students today are competing for jobs on an international level and they must be prepared. West Point High School students can meet university requirements and be trained in a Career and Technology program at the same time. New courses and technology are constantly being added to the curriculum. For more information, please call 662-494-6176
• West Point High School Dynasty Show Choir - Dynasty Show Choir consists of students in grades 9 - 12 who perform for community programs, nursing homes, and civic groups.
• Parents In Public Schools (PIPS) - PIPS is an independent group of parents who strive to support public education. They sponsor the Wave Runners, a swim team for elementary students; art activities; cheernastics summer camp; award teacher grants for special projects; provide student memorials to schools when a student passes away; and present a monthly Pride Award.
• Bright Horizons/Partners in Education - A partnership of business and schools working together to provide the West Point School District with Mentors, Job Shadowing opportunities, Service Learning experiences and Reality Fair participants as well as interacting monthly with individual schools.
• Clay County School District - www.clay.k12.ms.us/home.htm
  Clay County students in grades kindergarten through sixth grades attend West Clay Elementary School in Montpelier. From seventh grade through 12th grades, students attend school in the West Point School District.
• Oak Hill Academy - www.oakhillacademy.net
  Oak Hill Academy serves children in grades pre-k4 through 12th grades all on one campus and is accredited by the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (AA) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. A college-preparatory curriculum including accelerated and Advanced Placement courses, a well-rounded athletic program, writing, musical, and theatrical opportunities are available for your child on this family-friendly campus where the student-teacher ratio is approximately 15:1. Parent organizations include an active Parent Assembly and Booster Club.
• Hebron Christian School - www.hebronchristianschool.org
  A Christian school located in western Clay County, serves children pre-k-4 through 12th grades.
• West Point School District Family Resource Center - The Family Resource Center is an educational center open to the families of West Point and Clay County. The Center helps parents develop positive parenting strategies because the parent is the child's first and foremost teacher, and the home is the first classroom. The Center provides books and games that may be checked out, sponsors free parent workshops and other special activities, and makes home visits and hospital visits to new parents.

Higher Education

West Point and the surrounding area offer a wide range of higher education opportunities. West Point is within a half-hour drive of three major, award-winning public institutions.

Mississippi State University
Another short drive from West Point is Mississippi State University, the state's largest public university. Originally, an agriculture and mechanical college started in 1878, MSU is a member of the Southeastern Conference with hundreds of degree programs and on-going major research.

Mississippi State University is a public, land-grant university whose mission is to provide access and opportunity to students from all sectors of the state's diverse population, as well as from other states and countries, and to offer excellent programs of teaching, research, and service.

Enhancing its historic strengths in agriculture, natural resources, engineering, mathematics, and natural and physical sciences, Mississippi State offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs; these include architecture, the fine arts, business, education, the humanities, the social and behavioral sciences, and veterinary medicine.

The university embraces its role as a major contributor to the economic development of the state through targeted research and the transfer of ideas and technology to the public, supported by faculty and staff relationships with industry, community organizations, and government entities.

Building on its land-grant tradition, Mississippi State strategically extends its resources and expertise throughout the entire state for the benefit of Mississippi's citizens, offering access for working and place-bound adult learners through its Meridian Campus, Extension, and distance learning programs.

Mississippi State is committed to its tradition of instilling among its students and alumni ideals of diversity, citizenship, leadership, and service.

Mississippi University for Women
Founded in 1884, Mississippi University for Women now admits men, though women's studies still have priority. MUW is among the top Southeastern universities to have had the most female graduates who've earned doctorates. MUW consistently wins national accolades for its academic achievements. U.S. News & World Report's 2011 guide, "America's Best Colleges," placed MUW in the top tier of Best Regional Universities and as the highest ranked public school from Mississippi in the Southern category.

MUW's highly regarded Culinary Arts Institute is one of the few programs of its kind in the nation offering a baccalaureate degree. MUW is one of a limited number of universities in the country and the only public institution in Mississippi to offer a bachelor's in music therapy.

The Eudora Welty Writers' Symposium, which honors the University's world-renowned alumna, annually draws noted authors and scholars.

Graduates in MUW's Bachelor of Science in nursing program have a 99.6 percent pass rate on the National Licensure Exam since inception of the program. For the ASN Program, the overall pass rate since program inception is 99.2 percent.

The W features a fiber optic backbone, interactive videoconference classrooms and a satellite uplink.

MUW is home to the Mississippi Governor's School and the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, the fourth public, residential high school for gifted students in the nation.

With 23 of its more than 60 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, MUW's campus is one of the nation's most architecturally distinguished universities.

Located on the campus of MUW, is the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, one of the nation's four residential high schools for academically gifted students. Similar in scope and discipline to a college schedule, the students who win acceptance to MSMS must be qualified and mature, for they undergo rigorous training. Students graduate with more than 24 course units and are very well prepared for admission to major colleges. Room and board are at no cost to students.

East Mississippi Community College
As of spring of 2009, high school graduates from Clay County can attend classes at any EMCC campus tuition-free. For additional information contact the Golden Triangle Campus at 662-243-1900.

Closest to West Point is the Golden Triangle Campus of East Mississippi Community College, which is located in the center of the Golden Triangle. EMCC-Golden Triangle is recognized as a state leader in technical, vocational, and industrial training, and offers a two-year academic degree and a variety of other educational opportunities, including nine Vocational Certificate programs and 12 Technical Associate of Applied Science Degree programs. More than 3,000 students receive hands-on training with the latest in state-of-the-art equipment in comfortable and modern facilities to prepare them for employment. The Golden Triangle campus also has a full academic curriculum, active since 1997. Students can now enroll in fully accredited, university transferable academic classes that can lead to a two-year Associate Arts Degree. Classes are offered day and evening year-round at both the Golden Triangle campus and the Columbus Air Force Base. EMCC's Skill/Tech Center serves as a catalyst for training members of the college's six county district workforce to perform efficiently in a high-tech, high performance workplace. The Adult Education Program (ABE) is the state's largest and provides opportunities for adults to acquire the equivalency of a high school diploma. The ABE is offered throughout the college district and in area businesses and industries. As a leader in the field of industrial training, the Golden Triangle campus is home to the Center for Manufacturing Technology, the state's first advanced technology training center. The "Center at EMCC" is as multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art training facility providing regional industries with requisite training to maintain a competitive workforce in the 21st century's global economy. The Center at EMCC is industry-driven, industry governed, and dedicated to the enhancement of technology transfer services by assisting both new and existing industries in helping to improve productivity.

Contact Information