Wabbaseka, Arkansas Explained

Wabbaseka, Arkansas
Official Name:Town of Wabbaseka
Pushpin Map:USA
Pushpin Label:Wabbaseka
Pushpin Relief:yes
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Wabbaseka in the US
Coordinates:34.3592°N -91.7928°W
Subdivision Name3:Dunnington
Government Footnotes:[1]
Established Title:Incorporated[2]
Named For:Wabbaseka Bayou
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Total Km2:0.89
Area Total Sq Mi:0.34
Area Land Km2:0.89
Area Land Sq Mi:0.34
Area Water Km2:0.00
Area Water Sq Mi:0.00
Elevation Ft:200
Population Total:180
Population Density Km2:202.11
Population Density Sq Mi:523.26
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Postal Code:72175
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:2406809
Blank2 Name:Major airport
Area Footnotes:[3]

Wabbaseka is a town in Dunnington Township, Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. Its population was 255 at the 2010 U.S. census. It is included in the Pine Bluff, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.4sqmi, all land.

Demographics

2020 Census

Wabbaseka, Arkansas – Racial and ethnic composition
!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)!Pop 2000[4] !Pop 2010[5] ![6] !% 2000!% 2010!
White alone (NH)4954style='background: #ffffe6; 3415.17%21.18%style='background: #ffffe6; 18.89%
Black or African American alone (NH)272193style='background: #ffffe6; 13884.21%75.69%style='background: #ffffe6; 76.67%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)01style='background: #ffffe6; 00.00%0.39%style='background: #ffffe6; 0.00%
Asian alone (NH)00style='background: #ffffe6; 00.00%0.00%style='background: #ffffe6; 0.00%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)00style='background: #ffffe6; 00.00%0.00%style='background: #ffffe6; 0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH)00style='background: #ffffe6; 00.00%0.00%style='background: #ffffe6; 0.00%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)23style='background: #ffffe6; 00.62%1.18%style='background: #ffffe6; 0.00%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)04style='background: #ffffe6; 80.00%1.57%style='background: #ffffe6; 4.44%
Total323255style='background: #ffffe6; 180100.00%100.00%style='background: #ffffe6; 100.00%

2000 census

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 323 people, 132 households, and 83 families residing in the city. The population density was 873.3sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 150 housing units at an average density of 405.5/mi2. The racial makeup of the city was 84.21% Black or African American, 15.17% White, and 0.62% from two or more races.

There were 132 households, out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the city the population was spread out, with 27.9% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $14,792, and the median income for a family was $24,375. Males had a median income of $16,250 versus $28,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,902. About 28.1% of families and 30.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.8% of those under age 18 and 31.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Wabbaseka is served by the Pine Bluff School District.[8] Students are zoned to Park/Greenville School for preschool, James Matthews Elementary School, Robert F. Morehead Middle School, and Dollarway High School.

It was formerly served by the Wabbaseka-Tucker School District (previously the Wabbaseka School District), which operated schools on a 12acres property in the city. Altheimer-Sherrill School District annexed the former Wabbaseka-Tucker School District on August 16, 1993.[9] As the Altheimer Unified School District it began operations on September 1, 1993.[10] Altheimer Unified operated two schools: Martin Elementary School and Altheimer-Sherrill High School.[11] The Altheimer Unified School District consolidated into the Dollarway School District on July 10, 2006.[10]

Altheimer Unified ended all use of the Wabbaseka school property in 1996.[12] The district sold the Wabbaseka school property to the City of Wabbaseka for $674,623 in the 2001 fiscal year. By June 2001 this property was not yet used for a new purpose.[9] Demolition of most of the school occurred in January 2011, but the chemical storage room was untouched when the crews discovered the presence of various chemicals. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) removed the chemicals in May 2011.[12]

In December 2020 the Arkansas State Board of Education ruled that the Dollarway School District should merge into the Pine Bluff School District as of July 1, 2021; the post-merger school district operates all existing schools from both districts.[13] Accordingly, the attendance boundary maps of the respective schools remained the same for the 2021–2022 school year, and all DSD territory became a part of the PBSD territory.[14] The exception was with the pre-kindergarten levels, as all PBSD areas are now assigned to Forrest Park/Greenville School, including the territory from the former Dollarway district.[15] In 2023 the district announced that Dollarway High would merge into Pine Bluff High School, and that Morehead Middle School would become the only middle school for all of the Pine Bluff School District.[16]

Notable people

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: . 2017 . Wabbaseka . Arkansas Municipal League . July 4, 2017.
  2. Web site: Teske . Steven . 2017 . Wabbaseka (Jefferson County) . . . July 4, 2017.
  3. Web site: 2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. October 29, 2021.
  4. Web site: P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Wabbaseka town, Arkansas. United States Census Bureau.
  5. Web site: P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wabbaseka town, Arkansas. United States Census Bureau.
  6. Web site: P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wabbaseka town, Arkansas. United States Census Bureau.
  7. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. January 31, 2008.
  8. Web site: 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Jefferson County, AR. U.S. Census Bureau. June 29, 2021. - The map shows Dollarway School District as not yet merged into Pine Bluff School District; the merger occurred on July 1, 2021.
  9. "Altheimer Unified School District No. 22 Jefferson County, Arkansas General Purpose Financial Statements and Other Reports June 30, 2001." Legislative Joint Auditing Committee, Arkansas Legislature. Retrieved on August 2, 2017. page 3 (PDF p. 5/22).
  10. "ConsolidationAnnex_from_1983.xls ." Arkansas Department of Education. Retrieved on July 31, 2017. Note that Wabbaseka Tucker consolidated into Altheimer Unified, which in turn consolidated into Dollarway.
  11. "2002-2003 Arkansas Education Directory." Arkansas Department of Education. Retrieved on July 31, 2017. Page 65 (PDF p. 71/157).
  12. "EPA Removes Chemicals from Former Wabbaseka School ." Environmental Protection Agency. May 25, 2011. Retrieved on August 2, 2017.
  13. Web site: Howell. Cynthia. State votes to combine Dollarway, Pine Bluff schools. Arkansas Democrat & Gazette. December 11, 2020. February 23, 2021.
  14. Web site: Annexation/Transition FAQ. Pine Bluff School District. February 23, 2021.
  15. Web site: Murrel. I. C.. Dollarway alumni honor district. Arkansas Democrat Gazette. June 28, 2021. July 4, 2021.
  16. Web site: Murrell. I. C.. Pine Bluff School District will consolidate junior, senior highs this fall. Arkansas Democrat Gazette. March 1, 2023. March 3, 2023.
  17. Web site: Bailey . Jeff . 2017 . Leroy Eldridge Cleaver (1935–1998) . . . July 4, 2017.
  18. Web site: Hooker . Jane M. . 2016 . Willie Kavanaugh Hocker (1862–1944) . . . July 4, 2017.