An Arkansas city school board has approved a final contract to hire Dr. Jermall Wright, superintendent of the local city school district, effective July 1.
A final contract for Wright, who has served as the superintendent of the Mississippi Achievement School District since 2019, was approved by the Little Rock School Board during a special call meeting last week.
According to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Wright will become LRSD superintendent effective July 1, replacing Mike Poore who announced that he will retire at the end of June.
According to the LRSD superintendent’s three-year contract, Wright will receive an annual salary of $240,000 and a $9,000 relocation stipend.
Wright was named superintendent of the city schools in 2019 when the state took over the Yazoo City Municipal School District. The Mississippi Achievement School District, which included the former Yazoo City and Humphreys County, district, were consolidated by the state in an effort to lift the two districts from failing status.
The state selected Wright as the superintendent “based on his track record of turning around struggling school districts.”
However, based on reports from the Mississippi Department of Education, the local city schools remain at a “D” or F” status, the same grade report from 2018 and 2019 when Wright arrived as superintendent.
Based on the MDE ratings, the city schools have remained the same since 2018:
* Webster Elementary School: F
* McCoy Elementary School: F
* Woolfolk Middle School: F
* Yazoo City High School: D
Within the MDE's rating of proficiency in a number of school subjects, the city schools have dramatically decreased from 2018 to 2021 as well. There is no data from the 2019-2020 school year available by the MDE due to the COVID pandemic.
Within the 2018-2019 school year, MDE reported 11.9 percent proficient in Math; 14.9 percent in English; 14.9 percent in U.S. History; 25.2 percent in Science; 15.1 percent in College and Career Readiness; 28.5 percent in Acceleration; and a 70.3 percent graduation rate.
From 2018 until 2021, the only areas of proficiency that showed an increase was Acceleration with 42.7 percent proficient and the graduation rate of 85.8 percent.
However, the proficiency level of subject core areas from 2018 until 2021 have significantly decreased.
Within the 2020-2021 school year, MDE reported a 1.2 percent proficient in Math; 5.4 percent in English; 10.5 percent in U.S. History; 7.4 percent in Science; and 5.2 percent in College and Career Readiness.
