The Benoit School District (BSD) was a public school district serving, in Bolivar County, Mississippi (USA): Benoit, Scott, and areas around those two settlements. - Scott is not indicated directly on this map but it may be compared to the 2020 map: which shows the location of Scott.
The sole school of the district was the Ray Brooks School (Grades PK-12), in unincorporated Bolivar County.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. - The street name is actually Leverick. Later it was in Ray Brooks itself. - 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."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. 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.
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."School District Consolidation in Mississippi ." Mississippi Professional Educators. December 2016. Retrieved on July 2, 2017. Page 2 (PDF p. 3/6). West Bolivar closed Ray Brooks in 2020.
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. "Bill forces merger of Bolivar school districts." Associated Press at the Houston Chronicle. Tuesday March 6, 2012. Retrieved on March 25, 2012. 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."Student Hansbook 2011-2012." Benoit School District. 57. Retrieved on March 25, 2012.
See also
List of school districts in Mississippi
References
Further reading Legislation from the Mississippi Legislature requiring the Bolivar County school district consolidations Ruling from the U.S. Department of Justice about the Bolivar County school district consolidations
External links Benoit School District