Picture a kindergartner counting aloud in Spanish. Across town, an E.E. Smith High School student is training at a fire station. At Douglas Byrd High School, another student is growing berries and learning to fly a drone.
Those are three ways a school day can look in Cumberland County. Through the district’s Choice Programs, families can apply for a seat in a program their neighborhood school may not offer. The district offers nearly three-dozen specialized learning programs, from languages and technology to health sciences.
On Saturday, Cumberland County Schools hosts its “Choice Fair” so students and families can explore the options. Ahead of the application window opening on Monday, here’s a primer on the district’s Choice Programs
Who Can Apply for Choice Programs?
Students must meet the eligibility requirements set by each school. Families should check which grades can apply and whether the program has prerequisites.
Who Gets In?
Families can apply to more than one choice program, but they can accept a seat at only one school. When more students apply than there are seats, the district uses a randomized lottery to determine which eligible applicants get an offer.
You Will Need a Ride
Families should plan to get their children to and from school if they enroll in a choice program. The district provides limited transportation at some schools, so before accepting a seat, call the school to ask if bus service is available for your home address.
What Programs Can Families Choose From?
The district’s guide has the full list. Here are examples of what students can do at each grade level.
Elementary schools
- Spanish immersion at E.E. Miller Elementary and William H. Owen Elementary serve students in grades K–5 who learn academic subjects in Spanish.
- Mandarin Chinese immersion at New Century International Elementary serves students in grades K–5 who learn academic subjects in Mandarin while building skills in both Mandarin and English.
- World Language Spanish at Ashley Elementary introduces students in grades 2–5 to Spanish language and culture through weekly lessons and school activities.
- Dual-language immersion at Glendale Acres Elementary begins with kindergartners in 2027–28, with half their instruction in Spanish and half in English.
- A+ Arts & Academics at Mary McArthur Elementary brings music, movement, drama, and visual art into everyday lessons for students in grades K–5.
- Year-round learning at E.E. Miller Elementary gives students in grades K–5 a calendar that generally alternates nine weeks of instruction with about three weeks between sessions.
- Virtual learning at Cumberland Academy K–5 combines live online lessons and independent work for students in grades K–5, with state testing in person.
Middle schools
- Spanish and Mandarin Chinese immersion at New Century International Middle serves grades 6–8 and lets eligible rising sixth graders continue the language they studied in elementary school.
- Global Studies at R. Max Abbott Middle serves grades 6–8, introducing students to French and Spanish in sixth grade and offering a chance to earn high school language credit in eighth grade.
- Classical Studies at Seventy-First Classical Middle serves grades 6–8 and connects core subjects with the arts, science, and technology through projects and classroom discussion.
- Virtual learning at Cumberland Academy 6–12 combines live online lessons and independent work for students in grades 6–8, with a parent or guardian serving as a learning coach.
High schools
- Douglas Byrd’s Academy of Innovation serves grades 9–12 and uses hands-on projects to explore clean energy, artificial intelligence, drones, and digital design.
- Douglas Byrd’s Academy of Finance serves grades 9–12 and teaches accounting and finance while giving students a chance to work toward industry credentials.
- Douglas Byrd’s Teaching as a Profession pathway serves grades 10–12 and lets students explore teaching through coursework and field experience.
- E.E. Smith’s Fire Academy serves grades 9–12 and pairs classroom instruction with hands-on training and opportunities to earn firefighter certifications.
- South View offers two International Baccalaureate options, the Diploma Programme and the Career-related Programme.
- Westover’s Automotive Body Repair pathway teaches students how to repair vehicle bodies.
- Cross Creek Early College and Cumberland Early College for Science and Technology let students earn up to 60 college credits through Fayetteville State University while completing high school.
- Cumberland Polytechnic partners with Fayetteville Technical Community College so students can work toward an associate degree or industry credentials alongside a high school diploma.
What’s Changing for 2027–28?
Glendale Acres Elementary will serve kindergarten and first grade, with its new Spanish-English dual-language program starting in kindergarten. Participating kindergartners will receive half their instruction in Spanish and half in English.
Ashley Elementary will serve grades 2–5 and continue its weekly Spanish lessons. The district plans to start dual-language instruction at Ashley in 2029–30, when the first group of Glendale Acres immersion students reaches second grade, and at R. Max Abbott Middle School in 2033.
E.E. Miller Elementary will continue offering Spanish immersion and a year-round calendar. A proposal to move the immersion program to William H. Owen Elementary failed.
The district will end the Montessori program at Cumberland Road Elementary in 2027–28. Students currently in the program can stay at the school if their families provide transportation.
The school board also approved a hospitality and tourism program at Terry Sanford High School.
The district lists a fall 2027 opening for a health sciences early college at Methodist University, pending state approval and funding.
Will School Closures Affect Choice Programs?
The school board’s September vote on Choice Programs laid out what could happen if Anne Chesnutt Middle School or Reid Ross Classical School closes. The board previously voted to move both schools closer to closure. Each closure requires a separate board decision.
- Anne Chesnutt Middle School currently offers Spanish dual-language instruction and a year-round calendar, and applications for grades 6–8 in 2027–28 depend on whether the school stays open.
- Lewis Chapel Middle School would add a year-round track for grades 6–8 only if Anne Chesnutt closes, with room for about 100 students per grade and a lottery if applications exceed available seats.
- Reid Ross Classical School offers year-round instruction in grades 6–12. If it closes, the district’s plan calls for high school students to return to their assigned schools, while middle school students could return to their assigned schools or apply to Lewis Chapel if its year-round track opens.
For families who have both Spanish immersion and a year-round calendar at E.E. Miller, those two options could lead to different middle schools if Anne Chesnutt closes. Eligible students could apply to New Century International Middle to continue Spanish immersion or to Lewis Chapel for its proposed year-round track.
When and How Do Families Apply?
The district’s Choice Fair runs from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday at South View High School, 4184 Elk Road in Hope Mills.
Applications for 2027–28 are open Monday through January 8. Families create a student account and apply through the application portal. Families can check their application status in the Family Dashboard on Feb. 1. After accepting a seat, families complete enrollment with the school. A midyear transfer requires a written request and district approval. Students generally keep their Choice assignment within the same grade band unless their family submits a Choice Exit Application. To attend a Choice Program when entering middle or high school, students must apply again.
