Jacksonville North Pulaski School District (JNPSD) is a public

school district A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations. North America United States In the U.S, most K–12 public schools function as units of local school districts, wh ...

system located in

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The district serves the city of Jacksonville and a portion of northeastern Pulaski County. Upon detachment from

Pulaski County Special School District Pulaski County Special School District No. 1 (PCSSD) is one of four public school districts in Pulaski County, Arkansas—along with the Little Rock School District, the North Little Rock School District, and the Jacksonville North Pulaski Schoo ...

July 1, 2016, the district assumed operation of one high school, one middle school, and seven elementary schools.

History

Until their detachment in 2016, Jacksonville-area schools had been part of the Pulaski County Special School District, one of the largest school districts in Arkansas. In the years leading up to September 2008, parts of the Jacksonville community expressed a desire to split from the PCSSD. This measure was approved by the board of the PCSSD during that month, legally clearing the way for the formation of what would become a separate Jacksonville school district. In a response to a

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signed by more than 2,000 voters, the

Arkansas Board of Education Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage la ...

ordered an election to carve a new school district out of the existing PCSSD.

voters approved of the separation on September 16, 2014 with a vote of 3,769 for and 218 against (94.53% to 5.47%). The

approved an order in November 2014 to create a new Jacksonville-area district. The future district would continue to be administered by the Pulaski County Special School District until final detachment projected for July 1, 2016. A negotiated plan to separate the JNPSD from the PCSSD was approved by U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. on October 14, 2015. The plan spelled out how the two school districts would split a multimillion-dollar state desegregation aid payment, assets and liabilities, in anticipation of the new district beginning independent operation on July 1 the following year.

Schools

* Jacksonville High School * Jacksonville Middle School * Bayou Meto Elementary School * Bobby G. Lester Elementary School * Warren Dupree Elementary School * Pinewood Elementary School * Murrell Taylor Elementary School * Homer Adkins Pre-Kindergarten Center

Former Schools

* Arnold Drive Elementary School (closed following 2017-2018 school year; replaced by Bobby G. Lester Elementary School) * Tolleson Elementary School (closed following 2017-2018 school year; replaced by Bobby G. Lester Elementary School)

Planned Schools

* Jacksonville Elementary School (slated for opening in January 2022; to replace Warren Dupree Elementary and Pinewood Elementary schools)

Athletics

In 2016 the district began trademarking its athletic logos, so people selling merchandise reflecting the school district have to pay the school district.

References

External links

Official Website
{{Pulaski County, Arkansas Schools School districts in Arkansas Jacksonville, Arkansas Schools in Pulaski County, Arkansas 2016 establishments in Arkansas School districts established in 2016