Why Quincei Lovejoy Is Running for Cumberland County Board of Education

Quincei Lovejoy may not have spent her career working in education, but she says that’s part of the perspective she wants to bring to the Cumberland County Board of Education.

The 36-year-old has spent much of her adult life in Fayetteville, first moving to the city at 19 before eventually deciding to put down roots here. Her strongest connection to Cumberland County Schools, she said, comes as a parent. Lovejoy has children in the district, including her child who graduated from South View High School earlier this year.

Professionally, Lovejoy is a certified public accountant and certified management accountant who works as a financial planning manager. Her career has involved analyzing financial information, managing budgets, identifying problems, leading teams, and asking questions before major decisions are made—experience she said could bring a different professional perspective to the school board.

Now seeking one of three at-large seats on the Cumberland County Board of Education, Lovejoy said she wants to challenge what she sees as a tendency to accept decisions because “this is the way it has always been done.” Instead, she wants the board to identify concerns earlier, evaluate whether existing approaches are producing results, and bring more perspectives to decisions affecting students and families.

What are the top two issues the Board of Education should focus on over the next four years? How would you approach them?

I think the top two issues the Board of Education should focus on over the next four years are improving the [Individualized Education Program (IEP)] and exceptional children process and addressing school safety. To me, both of those issues are also symptoms of a much bigger problem we’re seeing—dwindling public school enrollment.

When it comes to IEPs, I think we need to take a serious look at the entire process, from how quickly children are evaluated to whether they’re actually receiving the services outlined in their IEPs. I know the school system is currently working to address some of the staffing concerns and has approved additional funding to support exceptional children services, and I think that is a positive step.

But as a board member, my focus would be on being proactive instead of reactive. I would want to make sure we’re not just solving today’s backlog or staffing shortage, but putting systems in place so we don’t find ourselves facing the same problem again. That means regularly monitoring staffing levels, caseloads, evaluation timelines, vacancies, compliance, and student outcomes so we can identify warning signs early and address them before they become a crisis.

The second issue is school safety, and I think we have to look at safety as more than just securing buildings. It includes bullying, fights, weapons, mental health concerns, how incidents are handled, and whether students actually feel safe when they come to school. I would want us to look closely at our current policies, listen to students, parents, teachers, and staff about what is and isn’t working, and use the data to identify schools or issues that need additional attention.

The board should be asking questions not only after something serious happens, but beforehand about what trends we are seeing and what we can do to prevent incidents.

Cumberland County Schools has faced difficult decisions involving school closures, facility maintenance, and consolidation. What principles would guide your decision-making when evaluating future facility needs?

One of the biggest principles that would guide my decision-making is informed curiosity. Before I vote on a major decision involving a school closure, consolidation, or significant facility investment, I want to fully understand the “why” behind the recommendation. I would ask questions about what led us to this point, what alternatives were considered, what the long-term financial impact will be, and whether we could have identified or addressed the issue earlier.

I would also look closely at data, long-term planning, and the impact on students and families. Enrollment trends, building conditions, maintenance costs, transportation, classroom capacity, and projected growth all matter, but numbers shouldn’t be considered in isolation. We also must understand what a closure or consolidation means for the students, employees, families, and communities connected to that school.

Another important principle for me would be proactive planning rather than reactive decision-making. If a facility has millions of dollars in deferred maintenance or enrollment has been declining for years, the board should be aware of those trends well before we reach the point where closure or consolidation feels like the only option. I would want regular, transparent information about facility conditions, anticipated capital needs, enrollment projections, and the costs of delaying necessary maintenance.

Ultimately, I wouldn’t want to walk into a board meeting with my mind already made up. I want to be curious, ask the hard questions, understand the why, listen to the people who will be affected, consider the alternatives, and then make the decision that best supports students and the long-term health of Cumberland County Schools.

How can Cumberland County Schools best support students with disabilities and ensure families have confidence in the district’s special education services?

Cumberland County Schools can best support students with disabilities by making sure every child receives the services they need in a timely and consistent manner. That starts with having enough qualified teachers, psychologists, therapists, evaluators, and support staff to manage caseloads effectively. It also means looking at the entire IEP process—from initial referral and evaluation to implementation and progress monitoring—to identify where delays or breakdowns are occurring.

I think proactive oversight is especially important. Regularly reviewing staffing levels, evaluation timelines, vacancies, compliance, and student outcomes can help identify warning signs early rather than waiting until there is a backlog or families become frustrated.

Building family confidence requires communication, transparency, and responsiveness. Parents should understand where they are in the IEP process, what services their child should be receiving, who they can contact with questions, and what happens when something isn’t working. And if a parent becomes so frustrated with the process that they take the time to write directly to the board, I believe they are owed a response from the representatives elected to that board. Their concerns shouldn’t be passed off without acknowledgment or follow-up. Even when the board cannot personally resolve an individual matter, board members can listen, respond, ensure the concern reaches the appropriate people, and pay attention to whether that individual concern points to a larger systemic problem.

Ultimately, I think confidence comes from consistency, accountability, and results. When families see that the district listens to their concerns, meets timelines, provides appropriate services, communicates openly, and follows through on commitments, trust grows. The goal should be a special education system where families don’t feel like they’re fighting the system for their child but instead feel like the school system is working alongside them to help their child succeed.

Student enrollment has declined in recent years. What role, if any, do you believe the Board of Education should play in attracting and retaining students and families in Cumberland County Schools?

I believe the Board of Education has a significant role in attracting and retaining students and families because tone at the top matters. The board helps set expectations, priorities, and accountability, and that leadership ultimately influences the culture throughout the entire school system.

Declining enrollment shouldn’t be viewed as just a numbers problem. We need to understand why families are leaving or choosing other educational options. That means listening to students and families and looking at school safety, academics, special education services, communication, and the overall student and family experience. But we also have to give families compelling reasons to choose Cumberland County Schools.

One opportunity is to expand and strengthen programs for students who may not want to attend a four-year college or join the military. If elected, I would work toward more access to career and technical education and skilled-trade pathways, such as electrical, HVAC, plumbing, welding, construction, automotive technology, and other programs connected to real employment opportunities in our community. We should also strengthen partnerships with local employers and community colleges so students can graduate with industry certifications, apprenticeships and work experience.

What steps can the Board of Education take to recruit, support, and retain high-quality teachers and staff?

The short answer is: pay them competitively. Competitive compensation is one of the most important things we can do to recruit and retain high-quality teachers and staff. The longer answer is more complicated because declining enrollment affects the resources available to do that. 

When we lose students, we can also lose state and federal funding tied to enrollment and student needs, making it more difficult to invest in our employees.

That can create a cycle we have to work intentionally to break. We should be aggressive about pursuing available state grants and other funding opportunities so we aren’t relying solely on local dollars to address these needs.

Aside from compensation, we have to create an environment where good employees want to stay. That means addressing concerns as they arise, supporting employees when they face difficult situations, and providing clear opportunities for professional growth. Teachers should be able to see a path forward in their careers through leadership opportunities, advanced credentials, additional responsibilities, and locally funded incentives or supplements when resources allow.

We should also create or expand grow-your-own programs that help teacher assistants and other school employees earn their teaching licenses and move into classroom positions. This allows us to invest in people who are already part of our schools and community while building a stronger pipeline of future teachers.

What are your views on year-round schools? What factors would you consider when making decisions about expanding or maintaining year-round calendars?

I believe year-round schools, when available, should be a choice left to families based on what they feel is the best learning environment and schedule for their student. Every family and every student has different needs, and I think having different educational options within our public school system can be a strength.

When considering whether to maintain an existing year-round program, I would look at enrollment and capacity, continued family demand, feedback from the families currently using the program, and most importantly, whether we are seeing the desired learning outcomes for students. Those factors would help determine whether the program continues to meet the needs of the students and families it was designed to serve.

When considering whether to expand year-round schools, I would look closely at demand and enrollment. If enrollment consistently grows and there is enough family interest to support additional capacity or another year-round option, expansion should be considered. I would also want to ensure that adequate funding is available to expand responsibly while continuing to support the needs and priorities of schools throughout the district.

Cumberland County Schools currently has several schools identified by the state as low-performing. What role should the Board of Education play in improving student outcomes at those schools? What strategies would you prioritize?

I believe the Board of Education should play an active role in oversight, accountability, policy, and making sure schools have the resources they need to improve. North Carolina already requires improvement plans for schools identified as low-performing, but as a board member, I would not want my involvement to end with simply approving a plan. 

I would like to understand why each school is underperforming and whether the plan we approved is actually producing results. The strategies I would prioritize include retaining and placing top talent in the schools that need it most, because I believe strong teachers and strong school leadership can make a real difference in student outcomes. I would push for clear benchmarks and more frequent progress checks throughout the year instead of waiting for annual results. 

I would want to regularly review academic growth, reading and math progress, attendance, discipline, teacher vacancies and turnover, and outcomes across different student groups. I would also look at whether we need stronger policies around accountability and intervention, including how often progress is reported to the Board, when additional support should be provided, and when we need to change a strategy because it isn’t working.

I would also prioritize learning from what is already working. I would like to identify schools within Cumberland County and in other districts that are succeeding with similar student populations, understand what they’re doing differently, and determine what we can apply in our own schools. 

Ultimately, my approach would be simple: find out why a school is struggling, make sure it has the right people and resources to improve, check its progress throughout the year, and make changes when something isn’t working.