Four public school corporations and one private school provide a range of choice of K to 12 education for residents of Starke County. Enrolment during the 2000-2001 school year totalled 4,837. Three of the public school corporations are located within Starke County, serving the Knox area (Knox Community Schools), Hamlet (Oregon Davis Community Schools), and North Judson-San Pierre Community Schools. (North Judson and San Pierre area). The fourth, Culver Community Schools Corporation serves a township on the eastern border of Starke County, and is located in a nearby community near the western border of Marshall County. The Lutheran Schools of Indiana (private) operate a preschool at Knox, and elementary school at North Judson.
Other opportunities for private K to 12 education are available in Marshall County, which borders Starke County on the east. Enrolment at these institutions during the 2000-2001 school year totalled 1,128.
| Public & Private - Starke County | Grades | Enrolment (2000-2001) |
| Oregon Davis Community Schools Corporation | K to 12 | 740 |
| North Judson - San Pierre Community Schools Corporation | K to 12 | 1,588 |
| Knox Community Schools Corporation | K to 12 | 2,079 |
| Culver Community Schools Corporation | K to 12 | 1,132 (214 Starke Co. residents) |
| Lutheran School | Grades | Enrolment (2000-2001) |
| Lutheran Schools of Indiana | PK to 8 | 216 |
| Private Schools - Marshall County | Grades | Enrolment (2000-2001) |
| Culver Military and Girls Academy | 9 to 12 | 717 |
| Bourbon Christian School | 1 to 12 | 34 |
| Grace Baptist Christian School | PK to 12 | 156 |
| Saint Michael School (Catholic) | PK to 5 | 221 |
The four school corporations that serve Starke county are part of a co-operative effort among school corporations in Starke and Marshall counties that have combined resources to be able to offer a wider variety of vocational and technical training courses. Courses are offered in the following areas: health occupations; computer technology (A+ and CISCO); child care services; automotive technology; agriculture; and building trades. A welding program, hosted by a firm in Marshall County has recently been established. Generally, each school in the co-operative offers to host a number of courses, for which students from other schools are bussed in for half day course sessions.
The Knox Community School Corporation (KCSC) has invested intensively in computer system (wiring and classroom connections), and equipment upgrades, such that students are introduced to and utilize computer based technologies from an early age. KCSC has invested in excess of $1.3 million in technology that includes providing voice, data, and video connections in and between all buildings including fiber optics, seven computer labs, and wireless communications for administrators, staff, and students.
KCSC also has innovative teaching programs and an outstanding music program, such that each year the high school is a state finalist for marching and concert bands. An innovative teaching program at Knox Elementary School, called the "School within a School" program, has resulted over the past three years, in improved academic achievement, increased attendance rates, and reduced disciplinary issues.
The "School within a School" program is based on the results of national research that demonstrate that smaller schools, in terms of student body size, tend to have higher academic achievement, promote better socialization and teamwork among students, and result in fewer problems with discipline. Knox Elementary School is one of the largest elementary schools in the state. With the goal of creating the atmosphere of a small school, four separate schools, each with grades 1 to 5, and with separate teaching staff, have been created within the larger Knox Elementary School. Each of these separate schools has been an academic and social success, by creating a sense of community among students and teachers.
The North Judson - San Pierre School Corporation (NJSPSC) has paid particular attention to the introduction and use of computer-based technologies in the classroom. This has involved a major commitment to the continuing skill development of teaching staff. At the classroom level, this has involved the application of photography and multi-media techniques, use of spreadsheets in both teaching and for students to gain hands on experience.
The Oregon Davis School Corporation (ODSC) has developed a strong science, applied science and mathematics program. To support this program, an electronic laboratory, based upon computer simulation technology, has been established to support the science programs at the high school. The laboratory allows students to simulate the aerodynamic, hydraulic, and mechanical (robotic) systems to better understand physical processes, and issues in product design and performance.
Starke Memorial Hospital is a 53-bed acute care facility located in Knox. The primary service areas for the hospital are the 25,000 residents of Starke County, and 15,000 residents within surrounding counties. Table 27 provides statistics on services provided at the hospital from 1999 to 2001.
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Table 27 - EXAMPLES OF SERVICES PROVIDED AT | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | |
| In Patient Admissions | 1,424 | 1,570 | 1,547 | |
| Patient | 4,561 | 5,312 | 5,792 | |
| Births | 143 | 158 | 138 | |
| Emergency Room Visits | 5,721 | 6,309 | 6,479 | |
Source: Starke Memorial Hospital | ||||
The hospital has a 24-hour physician-staffed emergency room. Other services provided at the hospital include: cardiac rehabilitation; critical care; radiology; MRI; physical therapy; diet/nutrition; and round the clock pathology and laboratory services.
Fifty physicians representing 18 medical specialities are on staff at Starke Memorial. Medical specialities practised at the hospital include: anaesthesiology; obstetrics and gynecology; family practice; internal medicine; radiology; urology; neurology; general dentistry; and surgery (general, orthopedic, and neurosurgery).
Long term Care is available at three facilities in Starke County. Countryside Place and Wintersong Village in Knox, and Our Lady of Holy Cross Care Center at San Pierre together provide a total 299 beds for long term nursing home care, at both the intermediate and skilled levels of care. Specialized care services provided include: Alzheimer's unit; hospice; and respite care.
Mental Health Services are provided in Starke County by Porter-Starke Counselling Centers at Knox. Services provided include counselling, treatment for depression, chemical dependency and addition, and ADD/ADHD, 24-hour emergency crisis intervention, and employee assistance programs. Four other agencies provide mental health care services to residents of Starke County based at close-by locations in adjacent counties.