The Pryor Public School Board approved a new partnership between Pryor High School and Rogers State University during Monday’s board meeting. The partnership will result in the opening of the Pryor High School Innovation Center at RSU this fall.
“Our new partnership between Pryor High School and RSU is innovative and unique in Oklahoma,” Dr. Don Raleigh, superintendent of Pryor Public Schools, said. “Establishing a high school innovation center on a university campus streamlines the educational experience for our students and allows them the opportunity to make the most of their concurrent enrollment.”
The Pryor High School Innovation Center will be housed at the Pryor Campus of RSU in the MidAmerica Industrial Park. It will be home to the Pryor High School Esports program and Tech Lab. Classes held at the Innovation Center will include manufacturing, engineering and robotics.
“This partnership fits perfectly into the university’s mission to provide a more highly educated workforce, enhance the economic development of the region and increase the quality of life for the residents of Mayes County and all of northeast Oklahoma,” RSU President Dr. Larry Rice said.
Beginning their junior year, students at Pryor High School will be able to join an accelerated pathway toward earning a college degree through this new partnership. Students will earn high school and college credit at the same time potentially earning up to an entire year of college course work before high school graduation.
Raleigh noted the importance of collaborative partnerships.
“Educational attainment and economic well-being are directly related. This new partnership would not be possible without the ongoing support of MidAmerica Industrial Park. Together we are developing a better educated workforce which attracts quality jobs and leads to an enhanced quality of life for all of us,” Raleigh said.
The Pryor Campus of RSU is located next to MidAmerica’s administrative offices on Highway 69A. Classes will begin at the new Innovation Center in August 2021.