West Memphis School District Technology
The West Memphis School District, located in West Memphis, Arkansas in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, is the largest school district in the Arkansas Delta region and the 14th largest in the state. West Memphis is located across the Mississippi River from Memphis, Tennessee and is included in the metro population count which exceeds one million. The population of West Memphis is approximately 28,259 with 56% African America, 42% Caucasian,1% Hispanic and the remaining 1% other. This population has seen a steady decline in recent years.
The West Memphis School District student population is just over 5,600 enrolled in seven elementary schools (grades K-6), three junior high schools (grades 7-9) and one high schools (grades 10-12). Demographically our district has 78% African American, 21% Caucasian and 1% other. The district has experienced a decline in student population similar to that of the decrease for the city. Over the past several years, the district's enrollment has dropped from 6,000 to just over 5,600. The biggest cause of this drop is due to the economy and lack of suitable housing for families.
The district employes 473 certified staff and 262 classified staff. Our certified staff has an average of 17 years of experience. Twelve of our teachers are nationally board certified while 219 (46%) have advanced degrees. The district's starting salary is the fifth highest in the state with 100% of our teachers highly qualified.
The community at large is very supportive of the school system. However, the mobile population does become a challenge to our academic progress. We have a highly progressive curriculum and assessment program that is challenging to students who transfer in and are not accustomed to its rigor. Students who have been in our system since kindergarten seem to succeed better than those who are highly mobile.
One recent change to our district is the addition of a district-based alternatived learning environment for the secondary grades and the consolidation of one of the elementary schools. Wedlock was a small K-6 elementary school which was consolidated into some of the other existing elementary schools. This allows the building to be used as the alternative learning center.
