Dumas Public Schools
Dumas Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Dumas, Arkansas.[1] It serves territory in Desha and Lincoln counties, including Dumas, Gould,[2] and Mitchellville. It also serves Arkansas Department of Corrections prison property (Cummins Unit).[3][4]
History
In July 1993 the Desha-Drew School District dissolved, with portions going to Dumas Public Schools and to the McGehee School District.[5]
In 2004 the Arkansas Legislature approved a law that forced school districts with fewer than 350 students apiece to consolidate with other districts. As a result,[6] on July 1, 2004, the Gould School District was merged into the Dumas district.[5] At the time of the merger, according to a June 30, 2004 audit report, the Gould district had a $322,873 deficit. The Dumas district inherited the Gould district's deficit. Thomas Cox, the superintendent of the Dumas district, opposed the merger; in May 2004 he told the Arkansas Board of Education that it would increase the racial imbalance in the school district as African-American percentage of the Dumas district would increase from 64% to 68%; at the time the Gould district was 99% African-American. The former superintendent of the Gould district became an assistant superintendent of the Dumas district.[6]
Schools
Its schools include Central Elementary School,[7] Dumas Junior High School,[8] and Dumas High School.[9]
In previous eras, Central had grades PreK-1, Reed Elementary School had grades 2-6, Dumas Jr. High had 7-8, and Dumas High had 9-12.[10]
After the merger with the Gould School District, the Dumas district inherited the Gould school facilities.[6] The 2004-2005 Arkansas School Directory listed Gould Elementary School and Gould High School as being a part of the Dumas district.[11] The Dumas district planned to, effective fall of 2005, move all Gould students in grades 7-12 to the Dumas schools, and considered doing the same to the elementary school students from Gould.[6] The 2005-2006 Arkansas School Directory did not list any Gould school facilities.[12]
References
- "Dumas School District Administration Offices Archived August 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." Dumas Public Schools. Retrieved on March 6, 2011. "213 Adams Street Dumas, AR 71639"
- "Gould Bus Route 2009-2010 School Year Archived August 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." Dumas School District. Retrieved on March 6, 2011.
- "Maintenance & Transportation Department Archived August 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." Dumas School District. Retrieved on March 6, 2011.
- "ARKANSAS SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND EDUCATION COOPERATIVES EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2010." (Archive) Arkansas Department of Education. Retrieved on March 7, 2011.
- "Consolidation/Annexations of LEA's (1983-2010)." (Archive) Arkansas Department of Education. Retrieved on March 6, 2011.
- "Dumas inherits Gould district’s deficit." () Arkansas News. May 11, 2005. Retrieved on March 7, 2011.
- "Central Elementary School Archived August 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." Dumas Public Schools. Retrieved on March 6, 2011. "101 Court Street Dumas, AR 71639"
- "Dumas Junior High School Archived August 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." Dumas Public Schools. Retrieved on March 6, 2011. "315 South College Dumas, AR 71639"
- "Dumas High School Archived 2012-11-29 at the Wayback Machine." Dumas Public Schools. Retrieved on March 6, 2011. "Dan Gill Drive Dumas, AR 71639"
- "2002-2003 Arkansas Education Directory." Arkansas Department of Education. 54 (60/157). Retrieved on March 6, 2011.
- "2004-2005 Arkansas Education Directory". Arkansas Department of Education. Archived from the original on 2005-05-25. Retrieved 2019-12-27. - Grady High is not listed in this directory.
- "2005-2006 Arkansas Educational Directory" (PDF). Arkansas Department of Education. p. 77 (PDF p. 87). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-04-24. Retrieved 2019-12-27.