Editing Pine Bluff, Arkansas (section)

==Education==
The [[University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff]] (UAPB) is the second oldest public educational institution in the state of Arkansas, and the oldest with a black heritage. It maintains one of the nation's few aquaculture research programs and the only one in the state of Arkansas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkapu.org/aapu-members/university-of-arkansas-at-pine-bluff/|title=University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff|access-date=September 6, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100814192430/http://www.arkapu.org/aapu-members/university-of-arkansas-at-pine-bluff/|archive-date=August 14, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> It also houses the University Museum and Cultural Center dedicated to preserving the history of UAPB and the [[Arkansas Delta]].

The newly accredited [[Southeast Arkansas College]] features technical career programs as well as a 2-year college curriculum.

Pine Bluff is served by three school districts: [[Pine Bluff School District]], [[Watson Chapel School District]], and [[White Hall School District]],<ref name=2020CensusMap>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st05_ar/schooldistrict_maps/c05069_jefferson/DC20SD_C05069.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Jefferson County, AR|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=June 29, 2021}} - The map shows Dollarway School District as not yet merged into Pine Bluff School District.</ref> as well as a number of charter schools and the [[Ridgeway Christian School]] also serve the city.

The Main Library of the [[Pine Bluff and Jefferson County Library System]] contains an extensive genealogy collection, including the online [https://pbjcl.tlcdelivers.com:8080/?config=obit#section=home obituary index] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402003550/https://pbjcl.tlcdelivers.com:8080/?config=obit#section=home |date=April 2, 2015 }} of the ''Pine Bluff Commercial'', Arkansas census records, and [https://web.archive.org/web/20161210041312/http://www.pineblufflibrary.org/digital-collections digital collections], which consists of many county and city records for much of southeast Arkansas. In addition to downtown Pine Bluff's Main Library, PBJCLS branch libraries can also be found in the city's [[Watson Chapel, Pine Bluff, Arkansas|Watson Chapel]] area, as well as in [[White Hall, Arkansas|White Hall]], [[Redfield, Arkansas|Redfield]], and [[Altheimer, Arkansas|Altheimer]].

===Colleges and universities===
* [[University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff]]
* [[Southeast Arkansas College]]

===Public schools===
* [[Pine Bluff School District]], including [[Pine Bluff High School]]
* [[Watson Chapel School District]], including [[Watson Chapel High School]]
* [[White Hall School District]] includes parts of Pine Bluff; [[White Hall High School]] is in neighboring [[White Hall, Arkansas|White Hall]].
Prior to integration, black students attended separate, segregated schools. These included [[Merrill High School (Arkansas)|Merrill High School]], [[Townsend Park High School]], [[Coleman High School (Arkansas)|Coleman High School]], and Southeast High School.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

In December 2020 the Arkansas State Board of Education ruled that the [[Dollarway School District]] should merge into the Pine Bluff School District as of July 1, 2021. According to the consolidation plan, all schools of the two districts will continue to operate post-merger.<ref>{{cite web|last=Howell|first=Cynthia|url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/dec/11/state-votes-to-combine-dollarway-pb-schools/|title=State votes to combine Dollarway, Pine Bluff schools|newspaper=[[Arkansas Democrat-Gazette]]|date=December 11, 2020|access-date=February 23, 2021}}</ref> Accordingly, the attendance boundary maps of the respective schools remained the same for the 2021–2022 school year, and all DSD territory went into the PBSD territory.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Nj-q3uIhvI4tRY-hBGp6nPGk-MlPTSuMNQrts8o7wMw/edit|title=Annexation/Transition FAQ|publisher=Pine Bluff School District|access-date=February 23, 2021}}</ref> The exception was with the pre-kindergarten levels, as all PBSD areas are now assigned to Forrest Park/Greenville School, including the territory from the former Dollarway district.<ref>{{cite web|last=Murrel|first=I. C.|url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/jun/28/dollarway-alumni-honor-district/|title=Dollarway alumni honor district|newspaper=[[Arkansas Democrat Gazette]]|date=June 28, 2021|access-date=July 4, 2021}}</ref> [[Dollarway High School]] closed in 2023.<ref name=Murrellwillcons>{{cite web|last=Murrell|first=I. C.|url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/mar/01/pine-bluff-school-district-will-close-separate-dollarway-schools-this-fall/|title=Pine Bluff School District will consolidate junior, senior highs this fall|newspaper=[[Arkansas Democrat Gazette]]|date=March 1, 2023|access-date=March 3, 2023}}</ref>

===Private schools===
There are two private schools in Pine Bluff, [[Ridgway Christian School]] (K3–12th) and Maranatha Baptist Academy K3-12.

The city formerly hosted Catholic schools:
* [[St. Joseph Catholic School (Pine Bluff, Arkansas)|St. Joseph Catholic School]] – Grades 5–12, opened in 1993,<ref name="About SJC: History & Heritage">{{cite web|url=http://www.sjcpinebluff.com/about-us-2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429131526/http://www.sjcpinebluff.com/about-us-2|archive-date=April 29, 2014|title=SJC: History & Heritage|author=SJCHS|url-status=dead|access-date=July 27, 2012}}</ref> closed in 2013<ref name=Hebda>{{cite news|author=Hebda, Dwain|url=http://www.arkansas-catholic.org/news/article/3475/The-last-class-graduates-from-St-Joseph-in-Pine-Bluff|title=The last class graduates from St. Joseph in Pine Bluff|newspaper=[[Arkansas Catholic]]|date=May 16, 2013|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref>
* [[St. Peter's Catholic School (Pine Bluff, Arkansas)|St. Peter's Catholic School]] – The first school in Arkansas for black children to be established,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://katv.com/archive/two-pine-bluff-catholic-schools-could-be-closing|title=Pine Bluff Catholic school to Close|publisher=[[KATV]]|date=May 2, 2012|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref> was established in 1889 by St. Joseph Church Pastor Monsignor John Michael "J.M." Lucey as the Colored Industrial Institute and in 1897 became St. Peter Academy a.k.a. St. Peter High School. It closed in 1975, and reopened as an elementary school (Grades Preschool through 6) operated by the [[School Sisters of Notre Dame]] in 1985. It closed permanently in 2012. It was the last Catholic school established for black students in the State of Arkansas.<ref name=HargettLastBlackCath>{{cite news|author=Hargett, Malea|url=http://www.arkansas-catholic.org/news/article/2994/States-last-black-Catholic-school-to-close|title=State's last black Catholic school to close|newspaper=[[Arkansas Catholic]]|date=May 12, 2012|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref>
* St. Raphael School – A majority black school, it closed in 1960<ref name=HargettLastBlackCath/>

===Public libraries===
The [[Pine Bluff and Jefferson County Library System]] maintains its main library in the Civic Center in downtown. The city received its first library in 1913.<ref>"[http://pine-bluff.pineblufflibrary.org/ Pine Bluff Public Library] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802041117/http://pine-bluff.pineblufflibrary.org/ |date=August 2, 2017 }}." Pine Bluff-Jefferson County Library System. Retrieved on August 2, 2017.</ref> The library system also operates the Watson Chapel Dave Burdick Library in the [[Watson Chapel, Pine Bluff, Arkansas|Watson Chapel]] neighborhood.<ref name=Libpage>"[http://watson-chapel.pineblufflibrary.org/ Watson Chapel Public Library] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802040509/http://watson-chapel.pineblufflibrary.org/ |date=August 2, 2017 }}." Pine Bluff-Jefferson County Library System. Retrieved on August 2, 2017.</ref>