Dumas Public Schools

For the school district in Texas, see Dumas Independent School District.

Dumas Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Dumas, Arkansas.^[1] It serves territory in Desha and Lincoln counties, including Dumas,^[2] Gould,^[3] and Mitchellville. It also serves Arkansas Department of Corrections prison property (Cummins Unit).^[2][4]

History

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,^[5] on July 1, 2004, the Gould School District was merged into the Dumas district.^[6] 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.^[5]

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. In the fall of 2005 the Dumas district planned to move all Gould students in grades 7-12 to the Dumas schools, and considered doing the same to the elementary school students from Gould.^[5]

References

1. ^ "Dumas School District Administration Offices." Dumas Public Schools. Retrieved on March 6, 2011. "213 Adams Street Dumas, AR 71639"
2. ^ ^{a b} "Maintenance & Transportation Department." Dumas School District. Retrieved on March 6, 2011.
3. ^ "Gould Bus Route 2009-2010 School Year." Dumas School District. Retrieved on March 6, 2011.
4. ^ "ARKANSAS SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND EDUCATION COOPERATIVES EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2010." (Archive) Arkansas Department of Education. Retrieved on March 7, 2011.
5. ^ ^{a b c} "Dumas inherits Gould district’s deficit." Arkansas News. May 11, 2005. Retrieved on March 7, 2011.
6. ^ "Consolidation/Annexations of LEA's (1983-2010)." (Archive) Arkansas Department of Education. Retrieved on March 6, 2011.
7. ^ "Central Elementary School." Dumas Public Schools. Retrieved on March 6, 2011. "101 Court Street Dumas, AR 71639"
8. ^ "Dumas Junior High School." Dumas Public Schools. Retrieved on March 6, 2011. "315 South College Dumas, AR 71639"
9. ^ "Dumas High School." Dumas Public Schools. Retrieved on March 6, 2011. "Dan Gill Drive Dumas, AR 71639"
10. ^ "2002-2003 Arkansas Education Directory." Arkansas Department of Education. 54 (60/157). Retrieved on March 6, 2011.

External links

	Arkansas portal
	Schools portal

• Dumas Public Schools