Benoit School District
33°38′13″N 91°01′39″W / 33.636891°N 91.027492°W The Benoit School District (BSD) was a public school district serving, in Bolivar County, Mississippi (USA): Benoit, Scott, and areas around those two settlements.[1]
The sole school of the district was the Ray Brooks School (Grades PK-12), in unincorporated Bolivar County.[2] The district headquarters was previously in a building in Benoit.[3] Later it was in Ray Brooks itself.[4]
On July 1, 2014, the district consolidated into the West Bolivar Consolidated School District. Ray Brooks itself continued to operate until its 2020 closure.
History
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2017) |
Beginning in 1986 district students at the high school level did not attend Ray Brooks (previously Nugent Center School, a.k.a. Benoit High School), but instead West Bolivar High School of the West Bolivar School District, in Rosedale. However high school classes at Ray Brooks resumed in 2000.[5] Linda Coleman, a Democrat member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from Mound Bayou, stated that the costs of transporting children to West Bolivar from Benoit were too high.[6]
In 2012 the Mississippi Legislature passed a bill that required five school districts in Bolivar County to consolidate into two larger ones.[6] On July 1, 2014, the Benoit district consolidated into the West Bolivar Consolidated School District.[7] West Bolivar closed Ray Brooks in 2020.[8]
Demographics
[edit]The school district had 287 students as of 2012. As of that year, of the 152 school districts in the State of Mississippi, Benoit was the smallest K-12 district (meaning the smallest which had all thirteen grade levels) and one of the 20 smallest school districts overall in the state.[9]
Accountability statistics
[edit]As of 2012, the district was, on a state seven step accountability rating, given the third lowest, "low performing," due to test scores. As of the same year the school had a 92% graduation rate, which is much higher than the Mississippi state average.[9]
School uniforms
[edit]Students were required to wear school uniforms.[10]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Bolivar County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2021-06-09. - Scott is not indicated directly on this map but it may be compared to the 2020 map: "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Bolivar County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2021-06-09. which shows the location of Scott.
- ^ Home. Benoit School District. Retrieved on April 19, 2018. "Benoit School District | 1827 Highway 1, Benoit, Mississippi, 38725"
- ^ "Bolivar County". Mississippi Department of Education. 2008-12-21. Archived from the original on 2008-12-21. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
Benoit School District 103 Leveck [sic] Street Benoit, MS 38725
- The street name is actually Leverick. - ^ "Administration". Benoit School District. 2001-08-15. Archived from the original on 2001-08-15. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
Central Office PO Box 189 1827 Highway 1 South Benoit, MS 38725
- The address matches that of the school - ^ "Wilson hopes to break out the shoes'." Franklin County Times. January 10, 2002. Retrieved on July 3, 2017.
- ^ a b Wright, Megan (2012-05-12). "Bill passes to consolidate Delta county's school districts". Mississippi Business Journal. Archived from the original on 2017-08-20. Retrieved 2017-07-03.
Coleman noted that West Bolivar and Benoit combined high schools for a time in the 1990s, but said transportation costs were too high.
- ^ "School District Consolidation in Mississippi Archived 2017-07-02 at the Wayback Machine." Mississippi Professional Educators. December 2016. Retrieved on July 2, 2017. Page 2 (PDF p. 3/6).
- ^ "Ray Brooks School Closes Its Doors". The Bolivar Bullet. 2020-05-14. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
- ^ a b Amy, Jeff. "Bill forces merger of Bolivar school districts." Associated Press at the Houston Chronicle. Tuesday March 6, 2012. Retrieved on March 25, 2012. Archived copy at The Mississippi Link
- ^ "Student Hansbook 2011-2012[permanent dead link]." Benoit School District. 57. Retrieved on March 25, 2012.
Further reading
[edit]- Legislation from the Mississippi Legislature requiring the Bolivar County school district consolidations
- Ruling from the U.S. Department of Justice about the Bolivar County school district consolidations
- Wright, Chance. "Benoit residents speak on consolidating schools". The Bolivar Commercial. Archived from the original on 2013-07-22.
- "Merger bill passes senate". The Bolivar Commercial. Archived from the original on 2012-10-26.
External links
[edit]- Benoit School District at the Wayback Machine (archive index)