• Great quality of life
  
  
• Low crime rate
  
  
• Plentiful supply of electricity and natural gas
  
  
• Below average utility rates
  
  
• Quality water & fresh, clean air
  
  
• Excellent schools
  
  
• Many friendly churches
  
  
• Two compassionate effective hospitals
  
  
• One long term care facility
  
  
• Three public swimming pools
  
  
• Mayor/Council town governments
  
  
• 80% of people live in the towns
  
  
• Our own landfill

Barber County Facts County Seat: Medicine Lodge Avg. January temperatures: 32° Avg. July temperatures: 89°; County population: 5,307 (2000) Area: 1,136 Square Miles Standard Kansas Abbreviation: BA

South Barber Named One
Of Nation's Best High Schools
For Third Straight Year

by REX ZIMMERMAN

In its annual high school rankings, the publication recognized 43 high schools in Kansas for their academic excellence and opportunities. 

“The South Barber School District is very proud to be mentioned for the 3rd year in a row on the US News and World Report list for the best schools in the United States,” said U.S.D. 255 Superintendent Brad Morris.

“This award is a credit to the outstanding staff and students for their on-going commitment to education. USD 255 staff and students work extremely hard at maintaining a high level of success, and that effort and enthusiasm for education is what makes South Barber one of the best schools in the nation.”

U.S.News & World Report—in collaboration with School Evaluation Services, a K-12 education and data research and analysis business that provides parents with education data—analyzed academic and enrollment data from more than 21,000 public high schools to find the very best across the country. These top schools were placed into gold, silver, bronze, or honorable mention categories.
All the Kansas schools were awarded the “bronze” award, with the exception of “gold” award winner Sumner Academy of Arts & Science in Kansas City, KS.

Of the 21,786 public high schools examined by U.S. News and its partner in the project, School Evaluation Services, 1,750 were recognized for considerably outperforming their state's standards. In that group, there were 561 schools that also were found to be doing an excellent job of preparing students for college-level coursework. 

California leads the nation this year with 110 high schools that earned recognition, followed by New York (53 schools), Texas (50 schools), Illinois (37 schools), Florida (24 schools), and Massachusetts (21 schools). 

Nebraska and Oklahoma did not have sufficient information for their high schools to participate fully in the analysis, which involves a three-step process that examines how well a school serves its entire student body (average students, disadvantaged students, and collegebound students).
Kansas schools listed on the U.S. News & World Report’s best high school are:
St. Benedict High School in Baileyville; Baxter Springs High School; Bucklin High School, Chase County High School in Cottonwood Falls; Clifton-Clyde High School; Ellis High School; Eudora High School; Fowler High School; Garden Plain High School; Goodland High School; Greeley County High School in Tribune; Greensburg High School; Hanover High School; Hartford High School; Haven High School; Hesston High School; Hillsboro High School; Humboldt High School; Lakeside High School in Downs; Linn High School; Logan High School; Macksville High School; Madison High School; Natoma High School; Northeast Magnet High School in Wichita; Norton High School; Onaga High School; Osborne High School; Oswego High School; Pawnee Heights High School in Rozel; Pike Valley High School in Scandia; Quinter High School; Quivira Heights High School in Bushton; Riley County High School in Riley; Rock Creek High School in Saint George; Salina Central High School; South Barber High School in Kiowa; South Haven High School; Stafford High School; Sumner Academy of Arts & Sciences in Kansas City; Syracuse High School; Uniontown High School; White City High School.

http://www.kiowanews.com/News6.html