Labette Community College

The Southeast Kansas Education Service Center, or Greenbush as it's commonly known, started in 1976 as three employees in a small, vacant school building donated by USD 248 Girard. The ESC started on the basis that it would provide area school districts a way of accomplishing things that would be too costly individually. The five original member districts Erie-St. Paul, Yates Center, Riverton, Girard and Fort Scott Community College joined together to establish a list of priorities and form a board of education with representatives from each of their own district boards. The ESC has more than 200 programs and services and 500-plus employees. Services extend far past the physical boundaries of the Greenbush property, which has expanded to include more than 500 acres, four permanent buildings and a fleet of mobile education vehicles. Programs range from education in state corrections facilities and the provision of interpreters for deaf and hearing impaired students in schools to home-based education for parents of toddlers and pre-schoolers and helping establish mentoring programs in communities.

Independence Community College offers a variety of educational programs and services to students. The college offers various student services, such as counseling, assessments and financial aid. It offers courses pertaining to various areas of study, such as accounting, architecture, art and vocational technical education, and biological sciences. It also offers courses in business administration, child care, communications, journalism, computer information technology, cosmetology, design and drafting, developmental education, health, history, home economics, industrial art education and library information services. Its course offerings also include mathematics, modern languages, music education, office technology, physical education, political science, psychology, religion, sociology, sports medicine and theater. The college is located in Independence, Kan.