school districts
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, whic ...
in
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 O ...
.
Background
The proposed school consolidation came as a result of education reform measures spearheaded by the Arkansas Education Association (AEA),Ledbetter, p. 47. which was prompted by a 1921 study done by the
Arkansas Legislature
The General Assembly of Arkansas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Arkansas Senate with 35 members, and the lower Arkansas House of Representatives with 100 ...
that criticized conditions at various public schools.Ledbetter, p. 46-47.
In the 1926-1927 school year, Arkansas had 4,711 school districts, with 3,106 of them each operating a school for white students that only employed a single teacher. Various laws affecting taxation and state and county governance reduced the number of school districts, including a 1927 law that allowed counties, upon voter approval, to modify boundaries of existing school districts or to create new school districts, Act 156, and a 1929 law that allowed voters in a county to vote in favor of consolidating multiple school districts into one, Act 149. However in 1931 a law was passed stating that in order for a school district to consolidate, the voters in each district must approve.
In the 1932-1933 school year, Arkansas had 3,086 school districts, with 1,990 of them each operating a school for white students that only employed a single teacher. Calvin R. Ledbetter Jr. of the
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UA Little Rock) is a public research university in Little Rock, Arkansas. Established as Little Rock Junior College by the Little Rock School District in 1927, the institution became a private four-year ...
stated that the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
caused a drop in government revenues and frustrated school consolidation.
In 1946 there were 1,900 school districts educating 406,199 students, with a typical county having an average of 25 school districts. That year 76,000 students lived in a district which had a high school that had not been accredited since there were insufficient students, and about 100,000 students lived in districts that did not operate high schools. Ledbetter stated that about 40% of the K-12 students in Arkansas were realistically not able to go beyond junior high school.Ledbetter, p. 49. That year there was a petition for an Act 1 which would have forced school districts with under 350 students to form "county rural school districts", created as a result of a lack of teachers due to several being drafted into the military, moving out of state, or moving on to defense jobs during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. This proposal would mean Arkansas would have about 400 school districts. The two newspapers distributed throughout the entire state of Arkansas supported this.Ledbetter, p. 51. However newspapers did not print advertisements supporting the passage of the act nor did they print the opposite.Ledbetter, p. 54. At the time people advocating for or against political causes bought space to print advertisements for them in newspapers.Ledbetter, p. 46. Voters rejected this with 68,510 opposing (50.47%), with the ''
Arkansas Democrat
The ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' is the newspaper of record in the U.S. state of Arkansas, printed in Little Rock with a northwest edition published in Lowell. It is distributed for sale in all 75 of Arkansas' counties.
By virtue of one of i ...
'' stating that they were heavily in smaller counties and especially in the state's north, and with 67,209 (49.52%) supporting, credited by the ''Democrat'' as being heavily in larger counties. Ledbetter characterized the voting margin as "a fraction".
In 1948 over 60% of Arkansas voters passed Act 1, which was to force any school district with under 300 students to consolidate. No lawsuits resulted from the passage. There were no advertisements supporting the referendum in newspapers, nor any against. Governor of Arkansas
Benjamin Travis Laney
Benjamin Travis Laney, Jr. (November 25, 1896January 21, 1977), was an American businessman who served as the 33rd governor of Arkansas from 1945 to 1949.
Life and career
Laney was born in Camden, where he attended Ouachita County public scho ...
stated opposition without stating his reasoning.Ledbetter, p. 54. It was favored by
Sid McMath
Sidney Sanders McMath (June 14, 1912October 4, 2003) was a U.S. marine, attorney and the 34th governor of Arkansas from 1949 to 1953. In defiance of his state's political establishment, he championed rapid rural electrification, massive highway ...
, who became the Democratic Party candidate for governor. The two major statewide newspapers also supported this act. Some rural voters were afraid their children would have too long of a commute to school and therefore opposed it.
From 1948 to 1949, the number of school districts fell from 1,600 to 423, and in 1964 this was down to 412.Goatcher, p. 5 (PDF p. 8/27). In 1966 there was a referendum to require school districts with under 400 students to consolidate. The ''
Arkansas Gazette
The ''Arkansas Gazette'' was a newspaper in Little Rock, Arkansas, that was published from 1819 to 1991. It was known as the oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi River. It was located from 1908 until its closing at the now historic Gazet ...
'' supported the measure but
Governor of Arkansas
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Orval Faubus
Orval Eugene Faubus ( ; January 7, 1910 – December 14, 1994) was an American politician who served as the 36th Governor of Arkansas from 1955 to 1967, as a member of the Democratic Party.
In 1957, he refused to comply with a unanimous ...
stated opposition to it. Additionally Winthrop Rockefeller and Jim Johnson, two candidates for the 1966 election of the governor of Arkansas, also stated opposition. 321,733 people voted against it, making up 73.59%. 115,452 people voted for it, making up 26.41%. Ledbetter characterized the result as "a landslide".
There were 370 school districts in 1983. After the
Arkansas State 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 ...
created rules for the minimum level of standards a school district must provide in its educational program that year, the number of school districts declined further,Goatcher, p. 1/27 (ERIC summary). with there being 311 in 1996, and then, as of 1998, 310.Goatcher, p. 2 (PDF p. 5/27)
Since 2003, two major components in Arkansas public school districts must exist:
* Each school district must have a high school, and
* Each school district must have 350 students.
The current consolidation policy that mandates operational changes for all districts with fewer than 350 students is the Public Education Reorganization Act—Act 60 of the Second Extraordinary Session of 2003.
Geographical school districts in Arkansas are generally independent from city or county jurisdiction.
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 O ...
school district boundaries are not always aligned with county or city boundaries; a district can occupy several counties and cities, while a single city (especially larger ones such as Little Rock, Fort Smith, or Jonesboro) may be split between several districts. Almost all Arkansas school districts use the title "School District", or "Public Schools".
All districts come under the jurisdiction of the
Arkansas Department 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 Osa ...
(ADE). Extracurricular activities come under the jurisdiction of the
Arkansas Activities Association
The Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) is the primary sanctioning body for high school sports in state of Arkansas. AAA is a member association of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFSHSA). Every public secondary s ...
.
In 1996 the average Arkansas school district had 1,468 students.
Greenbrier School District
Greenbrier School District 19 (GSD) is a school district based in Greenbrier, Arkansas, United States. GSD supports more than 3,100 students in kindergarten through grade 12 and employs more than 390 faculty and staff on a full time equivale ...
*
Guy–Perkins School District
Guy–Perkins School District is a public school district based in Guy, Arkansas, United States. The school district encompasses of land serving all or portions of the Faulkner County communities in and around Guy, Twin Groves, Greenbrier, Da ...
*
Mayflower School District
Mayflower School District (MSD) is a public school district based in Mayflower, Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. MSD supports more than 1,100 students in prekindergarten through grade 12 by employing more than 150 faculty and staff ...
East End School District
East End School District (EESD) is a public school district based in Bigelow, Arkansas, United States. The school district supports more than 650 students in prekindergarten through grade 12 in the 2010–11 school year by employing more than ...
*
Perryville School District
Perryville School District 7 is a public school district based in Perryville, Arkansas.
The school district supports more than 1,000 students and employs more than 150 faculty and staff. The district encompasses of land, in Perry County and C ...
Shirley School District
Shirley School District is a school district based in Shirley, Arkansas. The school district supports all of Shirley and portions of Fairfield Bay in northeastern Van Buren County and a minor portion of southwestern Stone County along Arkans ...
Two Rivers School District
Two Rivers School District No. 10 is a public school district in Yell, Perry, and Conway counties, Arkansas, United States. Two Rivers, headquartered in an unincorporated area in Yell County near Ola, consists of two schools including Two Rivers ...
Stuttgart Public Schools
Stuttgart Public Schools (officially: Stuttgart School District) is the public school district for students of primary and secondary education in the Stuttgart, Arkansas and surrounding areas.
It includes the unincorporated areas of Cass ...
Pine Bluff School District
Pine Bluff School District No. 3 (PBSD) is a school district headquartered in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The district has 10 schools with over 3,800 students and 500 employees.
The headquarters are the Jordan-Chanay Administrati ...
*
Watson Chapel School District
Watson Chapel School District No. 24 (WCSD) is a public school district serving the communities of Pine Bluff (including Watson Chapel) and Sulphur Springs within Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. Headquartered in Pine Bluff, Watson ...
*
White Hall School District
White Hall School District (WHSD) is a public school district in northwest Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. The district employs approximately 400 faculty members and staff to provide educational programs for students ranging from k ...
Cross County School District
Cross County School District #7 is a school district headquartered in unincorporated Cross County, Arkansas, with a Cherry Valley mailing address. It includes the municipalities of Cherry Valley and Hickory Ridge, and the unincorporated area
...
Manila School District
Manila School District (or Manila Public Schools) is a public school district based in Manila, Arkansas. Manila Public Schools serves more than
1,000 students and employs more than 170 faculty and staff on a full time equivalent basis for its ...
Cutter–Morning Star School District
Cutter–Morning Star School District 21 is a school district in Garland County, Arkansas.
It includes a portion of Hot Springs
A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally ...
*
Fountain Lake School District
Fountain Lake School District 18 (FLSD) is a school district headquartered in unincorporated Garland County, Arkansas, with a Hot Springs postal address but outside of the city limits.
Fountain Lake, portions of Hot Springs Village, and smal ...
Mountain Pine School District
Mountain Pine School District 46 (MPSD) is a public school district based in Mountain Pine, Arkansas, United States. MPSD encompasses of land in Garland County.
Its boundary includes Mountain Pine and a portion of Piney. A section of Hot Sp ...
Bismarck School District
Bismarck School District (BSD) is a public school district based in Bismarck, Arkansas, United States
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 lo ...
*
Glen Rose School District
Glen Rose School District is a public school district based in Glen Rose, Arkansas, United States, with a Malvern postal address. The school district supports more than 950 students in prekindergarten through grade 12 and employs more than 1 ...
Centerpoint School District
The Centerpoint School District is based in Rosboro, Arkansas, United States. The school district encompasses of land including portions of Pike, Hot Spring, Garland, and Clark counties. Within Pike County, it serves almost all of Glenwood, a ...
Bryant School District
Bryant Public Schools (or Bryant Public School District) is a public school district based in Bryant, Arkansas, United States. Since the 2010–11 school year, the school district provides early childhood, elementary and secondary education to mo ...
Dierks School District
Dierks School District is based in Dierks, Arkansas, United States. The district serves more than 575 students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade and employs more than 100 educators and staff.
The school district encompasses of land in ...
Cossatot River School District
Cossatot River School District is a public school district located along the Cossatot River and is based in Wickes, Arkansas, United States. The Cossatot River School District provides early childhood, elementary and secondary education for more ...
West Memphis School District
West Memphis School District is a public school district that is headquartered in West Memphis, Arkansas, Education in the United States, United States, covering sections of Crittenden County, Arkansas, Crittenden and St. Francis County, Arkansa ...
Marvell–Elaine School District
The Marvell–Elaine School District #22 (MESD) previously Marvell School District No. 22, is a school district headquartered in Marvell, Arkansas. It serves Marvell, Elaine, and other areas in Phillips and Desha counties.
On July 1, 2006, the ...
St. Francis County
*
Forrest City School District
Forrest City School District 7 (FCSD) is a school district headquartered in Forrest City, Arkansas.
In addition to Forrest City it serves other areas in central St. Francis County, including Caldwell, Colt, Madison, and Widener.
The board ...
Waldron School District
Waldron School District is a school district in Scott County, Arkansas.
References
External links
*
School districts in Arkansas
{{Arkansas-school-stub ...
Batesville School District
The Batesville School District is a public school district in Independence County, Arkansas, United States, based in Batesville, Arkansas.
History
Desha School District consolidated into Batesville School District on July 1, 1985. Sulphur Ro ...
Midland School District
Midland School District is a public school district based in Independence County, Arkansas.
The district and schools' mascot and athletic emblem is the Mustang horse. The Midland Mustangs junior varsity and varsity teams compete in the 2A Cla ...
Cave City School District
Cave City School District is a public school district based in Cave City, Arkansas, United States. The Cave City School District provides early childhood, elementary and secondary education for more than 1,400 prekindergarten through grade 12 s ...
Corning School District
Corning School District is a public school district based in Corning, Arkansas, United States. The school district encompasses of land, including portions of Clay County and Randolph County. Clay County communities include Corning, Datto, ...
*
Piggott School District
Piggott School District is a public school district based in Piggott, Arkansas, United States. The school district encompasses of land, including portions of Clay County and serving communities such as Piggott, Pollard, Nimmons, and Saint F ...
*
Rector School District
Rector School District is a public school district based in Rector, Arkansas, United States. The school district encompasses of land, including portions of Clay County and Greene County serving the communities of Rector and Greenway.
The Rec ...
Greene County Tech School District
Greene County Technical School District (Greene County Tech.) is a public school district based in Paragould, Arkansas, United States. The school district encompasses of land, including portions of Greene County, Randolph County, Craighead C ...
Hillcrest School District
Hillcrest School District is a school district based in Strawberry, Arkansas, United States. The district encompasses of land in Lawrence, Independence, and Sharp counties, and serves portions of Strawberry, Lynn, Smithville, Poughkeepsi ...
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Hoxie School District
Hoxie School District is a public school district based in Hoxie, Arkansas, Education in the United States, United States. The Hoxie School District encompasses of land including all or portions of Lawrence County, Arkansas, Lawrence County co ...
Maynard School District
Maynard School District is a public school district based in Maynard, Arkansas, United States.
History
On July 1, 2010, the Twin Rivers School District was dissolved. A portion of the district was given to the Maynard district.
*
Pocahontas School District
Pocahontas School District is a public school district based in Pocahontas, Arkansas, United States. The Pocahontas School District provides early childhood, elementary and secondary education for more than 2,000 pre-kindergarten through g ...
Northwest Arkansas Education Co-op
Benton County
*
Bentonville School District
Bentonville Schools is a comprehensive community school district serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade from Bentonville, Arkansas, in Benton County. Bentonville Schools encompasses of land, including most of Bentonville, and port ...
*Decatur Public Schools
*
Gentry School District
Gentry School District 19 (GSD) is a school district based in Gentry, Arkansas, United States. GSD supports more than 1,400 students in kindergarten through grade 12 and employs more than 220 faculty and staff on a full time equivalent
Full-t ...
Pea Ridge School District
Pea Ridge School District 109 is a school district based in Pea Ridge, Benton County, Arkansas. The district is accredited by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) and AdvancED.
The district includes the majority of Pea Ridge, half of G ...
*
Rogers School District
Rogers Public Schools (formally Rogers Public School District #30) is a public school district based in Rogers, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2012-2013 school year, the district encompasses of land and serves early childhood, elementary ...
Huntsville School District
Huntsville School District (formally Huntsville School District 1) is a public school district based in Huntsville, Madison County, Arkansas. The school district is the 3rd largest school district by area served, encompassing 747 square miles. T ...
Greenland School District
Greenland School District is a public school district headquartered in Greenland, Arkansas, United States. The school district provides early childhood, elementary and secondary education from kindergarten through grade 12. Greenland School Dist ...
Prairie Grove School District
Prairie Grove School District is a public school district in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, United States. The school district provides comprehensive education to residents of Prairie Grove, a portion of Farmington, and nearby unincorporated communiti ...
*
Springdale School District
Springdale Public Schools (formally Springdale School District #50) is the public school district for students of primary and secondary education in Springdale, Arkansas and surrounding areas. The district contains three high schools, four juni ...
Cotter School District
Cotter School District 60 is a school district in Baxter County, Arkansas
Baxter County is a county in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 41,627. The county seat is Mountain Home. It is Arkansas ...
Lead Hill School District
Lead Hill School District is a public school district in Boone County, Arkansas, United States which serves the cities of Diamond City, Lead Hill and South Lead Hill along with surrounding unincorporated areas within Boone County.
History ...
Valley Springs School District
Valley Springs School District is a public school district in Boone County, Arkansas, United States which serves the cities of Bellefonte, Everton and Valley Springs along with surrounding unincorporated areas within Boone County.
Schools
...
Eureka Springs School District
Eureka Springs School District is a public school district located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, United States.
Schools
The Eureka Springs School District provides education programs at three educational facilities:
* Eureka Springs High S ...
Jasper School District
Jasper Public School District 1 is a public school district based in Jasper, Arkansas, United States. The school district supports early childhood, elementary and secondary education for more than 900 students in prekindergarten through grade 12 ...
Searcy County
*
Ozark Mountain School District
Ozark Mountain School District (OMSD) is a public school district that provides comprehensive education to its students from prekindergarten to grade 12 and is situated in the Ozark Mountains (hence the name of the district) and covers in north ...
*
Searcy County School District
Searcy County School District No. 17 (SCSD), formerly Marshall School District #17 (MSD), is a public school district headquartered in Marshall, Arkansas. The school district encompasses of land in Searcy, Van Buren and Marion counties.
Pulaski County Schools
Pulaski County
*
Jacksonville North Pulaski School District
Jacksonville North Pulaski School District (JNPSD) is a public school district system located in Jacksonville, Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, ...
*
Little Rock School District
The Little Rock School District is a school district in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. It is one of four public school districts in Pulaski County and encompasses of land nearly coterminous with the state's capital and largest city.
In ...
*
North Little Rock School District
North Little Rock School District (NLRSD) is a public school district headquartered in North Little Rock, Arkansas, United States.
History
LRSD vs. PCSSD (desegregation)
The three school districts within the county—Little Rock School Dist ...
*
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 Sc ...
Emerson-Taylor-Bradley School District
Emerson–Taylor-Bradley School District (ETBSD) is a public school district headquartered in Taylor, Arkansas, United States. The school district supports more than 950 students in prekindergarten through grade 12 in the 2015-2016 school year ...
Strong–Huttig School District
Strong–Huttig School District No. 83 is a public school district in Strong, Arkansas. The school district supports more than 350 students and employs more than 50 education and staff.
The school district encompasses of land in Union County s ...
Crossett School District
Crossett School District is a school district headquartered in Crossett in Ashley County, Arkansas. In addition to Crossett it serves West Crossett and most of North Crossett.Hamburg School District
Cleveland County School District
Cleveland County School District is a public school district based in Rison, Arkansas, United States. The school district encompasses of land, including portions of Cleveland County and Bradley County.
Within Cleveland County it serves Ris ...
McGehee School District
McGehee School District is a public school district headquartered in McGehee, Arkansas. The school district encompasses of land, in Drew and Desha counties.
History
In July 1993 the Desha-Drew School District dissolved, with portions going ...
Drew County
*
Drew Central School District
Drew Central School District 5 is a public school district located in Drew County, Arkansas.
Established in 1927, the school district covers , almost all in rural Drew County, from where all the students are bussed into Monticello.
Blevins School District
Blevins School District is a school district based in Blevins, Arkansas.
The district encompasses of land primarily in Hempstead County and portions of Nevada County.
The Washington School District was dissolved on July 1, 1990. A portion o ...
*
Hope School District
Hope School District or Hope Public Schools is a school district in Hempstead County, Arkansas, headquartered in Hope. It serves Hope, Guernsey, Fulton, Oakhaven, Patmos, Perrytown, and Washington.
History
In 1966 the Guernsey School Dist ...
Nevada School District
Nevada School District 1 is a public school district based in Nevada County, Arkansas. Based in Rosston along U.S. Highway 278, the school district encompasses of land in the county, supports more than 400 students, and employs more than 80 edu ...
Hazen School District
Hazen School District is a school district in Prairie County, Arkansas, headquartered in Hazen. In addition to Hazen, it includes DeValls Bluff, Fredonia (Biscoe), and Ulm. The mascot is the hornet, and it has two schools: Hazen High Schoo ...
Pangburn School District
Pangburn School District is a small school district based in rural north-central White County, Arkansas, United States, with portions in southeastern Cleburne County. Enrollment is less than 1,000 students. The school serves students in Pangbu ...
Working paper
A working paper or work paper may be:
*A working paper or technical paper. Often, authors will release working papers to share ideas about a topic or to elicit feedback before submitting to a peer reviewed conference or academic journal. Worki ...
(authors state "Please Do Not Cite without Author Permission")
*
*
*
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 O ...
School districts
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, whic ...
School districts
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, whic ...