Editing Randolph County, Arkansas (section)

==Human resources==

===Education===
{{See also|Education in Arkansas}}
Educational attainment in Randolph County is typical for a rural Arkansas county, with a 2012 study finding 82.5% of Randolph County residents over age 25 held a high school degree or higher and 13.4% holding a bachelor's degree or higher. The Randolph County rates are below Arkansas averages of 84.8% and 21.1%, and significantly below national averages of 86.7% and 29.8%, respectively.<ref>{{ cite web |title= American Community Survey |year=2011–2015 |url= https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/05121,05,00 |publisher= United States Census Bureau |access-date= December 19, 2016 }}</ref>

====Primary and secondary education====
[[File:Map of Randolph County Public School Districts.png|right|thumb|Public school district boundaries in Randolph County as of July 2016]]
Two public school districts are based in Randolph County; the [[Pocahontas School District]] is the largest school district in Randolph County, with the [[Maynard School District]] serving the northeast corner of the county. Successful completion of the curriculum of these schools leads to graduation from [[Pocahontas High School (Arkansas)|Pocahontas High School]] or [[Maynard High School (Arkansas)|Maynard High School]], respectively. Both high schools offer [[Advanced Placement]] (AP) courses, concurrent credit agreements with nearby [[Black River Technical College]] (BRTC), and are accredited by the [[Arkansas Department of Education]] (ADE). Additionally, Pocahontas HS is accredited by [[AdvancED]].<ref>{{ cite web |title= Pocahontas School District |url= http://www.advanc-ed.org/oasis2/u/par/accreditation/summary/pdf?institutionId=2304 |publisher= AdvancED |work= Institution Summary (Executive Summary) |date= November 29, 2013 |access-date= December 19, 2016 }}</ref>

Residents outside the two Randolph County-based districts are within either the [[Mammoth Spring School District]], [[Sloan-Hendrix School District]], [[Greene County Tech School District]], or [[Corning School District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st05_ar/schooldistrict_maps/c05121_randolph/DC20SD_C05121.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Randolph County, AR|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=April 11, 2024}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st05_ar/schooldistrict_maps/c05121_randolph/DC20SD_C05121_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>

====Higher education====
Randolph County contains one institution of [[higher education]], [[Black River Technical College]], a public [[community college]] in Pocahontas. Other higher education institutions in the region include two member institutions of the [[Arkansas State University System]]: [[Arkansas State University]] (ASU), a public four-year university in [[Jonesboro, Arkansas|Jonesboro]], and a public two-year [[Arkansas State University-Newport|satellite campus]] in [[Newport, Arkansas|Newport]]. Two private, four-year colleges are also near Randolph County: [[Crowley's Ridge College]], a [[Christianity|Christian]] [[liberal arts college]] in [[Paragould, Arkansas|Paragould]], and [[Williams Baptist College]] in [[Walnut Ridge, Arkansas|Walnut Ridge]].

====Library system====
The Randolph County Library (RCL) in downtown Pocahontas is a member library of the Northeast Arkansas Regional Library System. RCL offers books, [[e-book]]s, media, reference, youth, business and [[genealogy]] services.

===Public health===
Randolph County's above-average poverty rate also indicates a high [[Medicaid]] eligibility rate. As of 2012, 38.1% of Randolph County was eligible for Medicaid, with 65.1% of children under 19 eligible for [[ARKids First]], a program by the [[Arkansas Department of Human Services]] that combines children's Medicaid (ARKids A) and other programs for families with higher incomes (ARKids B).<ref>{{harvp|"Profile"|2015|p= 56}}.</ref> The county's population is significantly above healthy weight, with 71.7% of adults and 41.2% of children/adolescents ranking as overweight or obese, above the state averages of 67.1% and 39.3%, themselves significantly above national averages of 62.9% and 30.3%, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |title= Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity: Data, Trends and Maps |publisher= Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |url= https://nccd.cdc.gov/NPAO_DTM/Default.aspx |access-date= December 20, 2016 |archive-date= December 21, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161221162248/https://nccd.cdc.gov/NPAO_DTM/Default.aspx |url-status= dead }}</ref>

St. Bernards Five Rivers Medical Center in Pocahontas is a [[community hospital]] offering acute inpatient care, [[emergency care]], [[diagnosis|diagnostics]], surgery, rehabilitation, therapy, and [[geriatrics|senior care]] services. The facility is rated as a [[Level 4 Trauma Center]] by the [[Arkansas Department of Health]]. [[St. Bernards Medical Center]] in Jonesboro is a [[Tertiary referral hospital|referral hospital]] in the region, focusing on heart care, cancer treatment, women's/children's services, and senior services.

The nearest [[Level 1 Trauma Center]]s are [[Le Bonheur Children's Hospital]] and Regional Medical Center, both in Memphis.<ref>{{ cite web |title= Designated Trauma Centers |date= June 7, 2016 |url= http://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programsServices/injuryPreventionControl/TraumaticSystems/Pages/DesignatedTraumaCenters.aspx |publisher= Arkansas Department of Health |access-date= December 20, 2016 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120211165823/http://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programsServices/injuryPreventionControl/TraumaticSystems/Pages/DesignatedTraumaCenters.aspx |archive-date= February 11, 2012 }}</ref>

===Public safety===
The Randolph County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency in the county. The agency is led by the Randolph County Sheriff, an official elected by countywide vote every four years.

The county is under the jurisdiction of the Randolph County District Court, a [[Arkansas District Court|local district court]].<ref name="harvp|Directory|2016|p= 54">{{harvp|"Directory"|2016|p= 54}}.</ref> Local district courts in Arkansas are courts of [[original jurisdiction]] for criminal, civil, small claims, and traffic matters.<ref name="jd" >{{cite web |author= Staff of the Arkansas Judiciary |title= Arkansas Court Structure |url= https://courts.arkansas.gov/sites/default/files/Arkansas%20Court%20Structure.pdf |date= September 2, 2014 |publisher= Arkansas Judiciary |access-date= December 26, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161223021248/https://courts.arkansas.gov/sites/default/files/Arkansas%20Court%20Structure.pdf |archive-date= December 23, 2016 |url-status= dead }}</ref> Local district courts are presided over by an elected part-time judge who may privately practice law. Randolph County District Court is located at 1510 Pace Road in Pocahontas, and is presided over by the District Judge, who is elected in a countywide election.<ref name="harvp|Directory|2016|p= 54"/> The court handles within Randolph County.

Superseding district court jurisdiction is the [[Arkansas Circuit Courts|3rd Judicial Circuit Court]], which covers Jackson, Lawrence, Randolph, and Sharp counties. The 3rd Circuit contains three circuit judges, elected to six-year terms circuitwide.<ref>{{harvp|"Directory"|2016|p= 10}}.</ref>