Fort Scott Community College plans to close its Miami County campus in Paola in January 2027, moving instruction online and to area high schools, according to KSHB 41. The closure will end FSCC’s standalone campus presence in Paola, where students have been able to pursue two-year associate degrees.
An FSCC spokesperson told KSHB 41 Kansas City the decision reflects changes in how students take classes and shifts in operating costs. The college’s main campus, at 2108 South Horton in Fort Scott, will remain its operational hub; KSHB reports it is roughly an hour south of Paola.
Where Classes Will Move
After the Paola campus closes, FSCC plans to offer classes at Paola, Osawatomie, Louisburg and Prairie View high schools, as reported by KSHB 41. The college also plans to continue online instruction and courses at its other campuses.
FSCC plans to provide students with information about the courses available through each participating school district, according to the same report. The specific course offerings at each site have not been detailed.
What the High-School Partnerships Mean
FSCC’s Miami County campus page says the college already serves Osawatomie, Paola and Louisburg high schools through concurrent-course partnerships; it does not establish whether Prairie View was already offering FSCC courses. The college’s high-school enrollment guide describes concurrent enrollment as college-level classes taught by FSCC-approved high-school instructors during the regular school day. These descriptions do not specify which courses will be available at each school after the campus closes, so the precise change to the existing arrangements remains unclear.
Welding Program Faces Its Own Shuffle
Welding students may have different options: according to KSHB 41, they could take classes at FSCC locations in Pleasanton or Fort Scott. Local high schools could also support welding classes if enrollment is sufficient, the station reported.
Fort Scott Community College reported that the Miami County campus has historically offered two-year associate degrees across a wide range of fields, including arts, science, general studies, nurse aide, welding and environmental water technology, Fort Scott Community College reports. Losing a single campus that housed all of those programs marks a notable change for students who relied on Paola as a one-stop option for coursework close to home.
College Leadership Weighs In on the Transition
Behind the scenes, FSCC's vice president of academic affairs and enrollment management met with the campus welding instructor and campus dean to discuss the transition, per a report from KSHB 41. Those conversations point to an internal effort to sort out staffing and program logistics ahead of the January shift, even as many specifics remain unsettled publicly.
The closure is planned for January 2027. FSCC has said it will provide information about courses at the participating high schools as the transition proceeds.
