Editing Baxter County, Arkansas (section)

==Human resources==

===Education===
{{See also|Education in Arkansas}}
The 2019 [[American Community Survey]] found 88.7% of Baxter County residents over age 25 held a high school degree or higher and 17.9% holding a bachelor's degree or higher. Baxter County exceeded statewide and nationwide averages for high school attainment (86.6% and 88.0%, respectively), but lags far behind on bachelor's degree attainment (23.0% and 32.1%, respectively).<ref>{{cite web |title= American Community Survey |year=2015–2019 |url= https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/baxtercountyarkansas,AR,US/PST045221 |publisher= United States Census Bureau |access-date= January 8, 2022 }}</ref>

====Primary and secondary education====

Three public school districts are based in Baxter County; [[Mountain Home School District (Arkansas)|Mountain Home School District]] is the largest school district in Baxter County, with [[Cotter School District]] serving the Cotter-Gassville area and the [[Norfork School District]] serving the southeast side of the county. Successful completion of the curriculum of these schools leads to graduation from [[Mountain Home High School (Arkansas)|Mountain Home High School]], [[Cotter High School (Arkansas)|Cotter High School]], or [[Norfork High School]] respectively. All three high schools are accredited by the [[Arkansas Department of Education]] (ADE).

Small areas in Baxter County are within the boundaries of [[Calico Rock School District]], [[Mountain View School District (Arkansas)|Mountain View School District]], and [[Viola School District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st05_ar/schooldistrict_maps/c05005_baxter/DC20SD_C05005.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Baxter County, AR|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2025-01-10}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st05_ar/schooldistrict_maps/c05005_baxter/DC20SD_C05005_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>

The Big Flat School District was in the county until July 1, 1985, when it merged with the Fifty Six School District into the [[Tri-County School District (Arkansas)|Tri-County School District]]. On July 1, 1993, the Tri-County district was dissolved, with portions going to various districts, including the Mountain View district.<ref name=Consolfrom1983>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20150912013154/http://www.arkansased.gov/public/userfiles/Legal/ConsolidationAnnex_from_1983.xls ConsolidationAnnex_from_1983.xls]." [[Arkansas Department of Education]]. Retrieved on October 13, 2017.</ref>

====Higher education====
The lone institution of higher education in Baxter County is [[Arkansas State University-Mountain Home]] (ASUMH), a [[public college|public]] [[community college]]. Other nearby institutions include [[Ozarka College]] in [[Melbourne, Arkansas|Melbourne]] and [[North Arkansas College]] in [[Harrison, Arkansas|Harrison]].

====Libraries====
[[File:Donald W Reynolds Library.jpg|thumb|right|Donald W. Reynolds Library]]
The [[Donald W. Reynolds]] Library serving Baxter County was opened in September 2010 at 300 Library Hill in Mountain Home. The library offers books, e-books, media, reference, programs, youth, special collections, and genealogy services.

===Public health===
[[Baxter Health]] in Mountain Home offers acute inpatient care, [[emergency care]], [[diagnosis|diagnostics]], surgery, OB/GYN, rehabilitation, therapy, and senior care services.<ref>{{ cite web |last= Tucker |first= Noah |title= Baxter Regional Medical Center changing its name |publisher=[[KYTV (TV station)|KYTV]] |location= Springfield, MO |date= July 27, 2022 |url=https://www.ky3.com/2022/07/27/baxter-regional-medical-center-changing-its-name/ |access-date=March 11, 2023 }}</ref> The facility is rated as a [[Level 3 Trauma Center]] by the [[Arkansas Department of Health]].

The nearest [[Level 1 Trauma Center]]s are [[CoxHealth]] and [[Mercy (healthcare organization)|Mercy Hospital Springfield]], both in [[Springfield, Missouri]].<ref>{{cite web |title= Designated Trauma Centers |date= March 7, 2023 |url=https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/images/uploads/pdf/Designated_Trauma_Centers.pdf |publisher= Arkansas Department of Health |location=Little Rock |access-date= March 11, 2023 }}</ref>

===Public safety===
The [[Baxter County Sheriff's Office]] is the primary law enforcement agency in the county. The agency is led by the Baxter County Sheriff, an official elected by countywide vote every four years. Police departments in Cotter, Gassville, Lakeview, and Mountain Home provide law enforcement in their respective jurisdictions, with remaining municipalities contracting with the Baxter County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement services.

The county is under the jurisdiction of the Baxter County District Court, a [[Arkansas District Court|state district court]].<ref name="dc" >{{cite web |author= Staff of the Arkansas Judiciary |title= District Courts Directory |url= https://www.arcourts.gov/directories/district-courts?field_name_value=&field_district_court_target_id=1209&field_congressional_district_value=All |publisher= Arkansas Judiciary |access-date= January 21, 2023 }}</ref> State district courts in Arkansas are courts of [[original jurisdiction]] for criminal, civil, and traffic matters.<ref name="jd" >{{cite web |author= Staff of the Arkansas Judiciary |title= District Courts |url= https://www.arcourts.gov/courts/district-courts |date= July 1, 2019 |publisher= Arkansas Judiciary |access-date= January 21, 2023 }}</ref> State district courts are presided over by an elected full-time judge. The district court has seven departments, one in each municipality of Baxter County.<ref name="dc" />

Superseding district court jurisdiction is the [[Arkansas Circuit Courts|14th Judicial Circuit Court]], which covers Baxter, Boone, Marion, and Newton counties. The 14th Circuit contains four circuit judges, elected to six-year terms circuitwide.<ref name="cc" >{{cite web |author= Staff of the Arkansas Judiciary |title= Circuit Courts Directory |url= https://www.arcourts.gov/directories/circuit-judges?title=&field_county_circuit_target_id=&field_judicial_circuit_target_id=839 |publisher= Arkansas Judiciary |access-date= January 21, 2023 }}</ref>

[[Fire protection]] is provided by nineteen agencies in Baxter County, together covering the entire county except areas within the major lakes. Cotter, Gassville, Norfork, and Mountain Home, each provide fire protection, in some cases extending beyond corporate limits. Rural areas are served by the Buford Volunteer, Clarkridge Volunteer, Cotter-Gassville Rural, Gamaliel, Grover Township, Hand Cove Fire Protection District, Henderson, Lone Rock Volunteer, Midway Volunteer, Northeast Lakeside, Oakland-Promise Land Volunteer, Rodney Volunteer, Salesville, Tracy Area, and the [[United States Forest Service#Fighting fires|United States Forest Service]].<ref>{{ cite map |author= GIS Applications Laboratory |title= Arkansas Fire Districts |year= 2022 |url=https://gislabualr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d54f8061ddaf444b8321bcaedb125d4c |format= SHP |publisher=[[Arkansas Economic Development Institute]], [[University of Arkansas at Little Rock]] |scale= Various |location= Little Rock, Arkansas |access-date= January 21, 2023 }}</ref>