Benoit School District

{{Short description|School district in Mississippi, United States}}{{Infobox school district

| name = Benoit School District

| closed = 2014

}}

The Benoit School District (BSD) was a public school district serving, in Bolivar County, Mississippi (USA): Benoit, Scott, and areas around those two settlements.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/sch_dist/st28_ms/c28011_bolivar/DC10SD_C28011_001.pdf|title=SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Bolivar County, MS|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=2021-06-09}} - Scott is not indicated directly on this map but it may be compared to the 2020 map: {{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st28_ms/schooldistrict_maps/c28011_bolivar/DC20SD_C28011.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Bolivar County, MS|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=2021-06-09}} which shows the location of Scott.

The sole school of the district was the Ray Brooks School (Grades PK-12), in unincorporated Bolivar County.[https://web.archive.org/web/20130518050303/http://www.benoit.k12.ms.us/ Home]. Benoit School District. Retrieved on April 19, 2018. "Benoit School District | 1827 Highway 1, Benoit, Mississippi, 38725" The district headquarters was previously in a building in Benoit.{{cite web|url=http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/districts/Bolivar.htm|title=Bolivar County|publisher=Mississippi Department of Education|date=2008-12-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221231543/http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/districts/Bolivar.htm|accessdate=2021-06-06|archive-date=2008-12-21|quote=Benoit School District 103 Leveck{{sic}} Street Benoit, MS 38725 }} - The street name is actually Leverick. Later it was in Ray Brooks itself.{{cite web|url=http://www.benoit.k12.ms.us:80/districtoffice/html/administration.htm|title=Administration|publisher=Benoit School District|date=2001-08-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010815135418/http://www.benoit.k12.ms.us:80/districtoffice/html/administration.htm|accessdate=2021-06-06|archive-date=2001-08-15|quote=Central Office PO Box 189 1827 Highway 1 South Benoit, MS 38725}} - [https://web.archive.org/web/20010815150444/http://www.benoit.k12.ms.us/raybrookschool/index.htm The address matches that of the school]

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

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."[https://web.archive.org/web/20170702171801/http://www.franklincountytimes.com/2002/01/10/wilson-hopes-to-break-out-the-shoes039/ Wilson hopes to break out the shoes']." Franklin County Times. January 10, 2002. Retrieved on July 3, 2017. However high school classes at Ray Brooks resumed in 2001.{{cite web|url=http://www.benoit.k12.ms.us/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010608061259/http://www.benoit.k12.ms.us/|archive-date=2001-06-08|title=Home|publisher=Benoit School District|access-date=2025-01-02|quote=Students in grades 10 through 12 will return to the district for the 2001-02 school year.}} Linda Coleman, a Democratic 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.{{cite web|author=Wright, Megan|url=http://msbusiness.com/2012/05/bill-passes-to-consolidate-delta-countys-school-districts/|title=Bill passes to consolidate Delta county's school districts|publisher=Mississippi Business Journal|date=2012-05-12|accessdate=2017-07-03|quote=Coleman noted that West Bolivar and Benoit combined high schools for a time in the 1990s, but said transportation costs were too high.|archive-date=2017-08-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820034333/http://msbusiness.com/2012/05/bill-passes-to-consolidate-delta-countys-school-districts/|url-status=dead}}

In 2012 the Mississippi Legislature passed a bill that required five school districts in Bolivar County to consolidate into two larger ones. On July 1, 2014, the Benoit district consolidated into the West Bolivar Consolidated School District."[https://mpe.org/mpe/documents/Consolidation.Final.pdf School District Consolidation in Mississippi] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702083623/https://mpe.org/mpe/documents/Consolidation.Final.pdf |date=2017-07-02 }}." Mississippi Professional Educators. December 2016. Retrieved on July 2, 2017. Page 2 (PDF p. 3/6). West Bolivar closed Ray Brooks in 2020.{{cite web|url=https://bolivarbullet.com/ray-brooks-school-closes-its-doors/|title=Ray Brooks School Closes Its Doors|newspaper=The Bolivar Bullet|date=2020-05-14|accessdate=2021-05-23}}

Demographics

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.Amy, Jeff. "[http://www.chron.com/default/article/Bill-forces-merger-of-Bolivar-school-districts-3386703.php Bill forces merger of Bolivar school districts]." Associated Press at the Houston Chronicle. Tuesday March 6, 2012. Retrieved on March 25, 2012. [http://themississippilink.com/2012/03/08/bill-forces-merger-of-bolivar-school-districts/ Archived copy at] The Mississippi Link

Accountability statistics

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.

School uniforms

Students were required to wear school uniforms."[http://www.benoit.k12.ms.us/index_html_files/Student_Handbook_11-12.pdf Student Hansbook 2011-2012]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}." Benoit School District. 57. Retrieved on March 25, 2012.