Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Marvin Connelly Jr. gave his final update Tuesday to the Cumberland County Board of Education.
Connelly is retiring at the end of the month, having served as Cumberland County Schools superintendent since 2018.
His final update was a message of thanks to students, staff and the community for their support.
“Normally, this is where I share district updates, but I want to share something more personal,” Connelly said during the Tuesday board meeting. “Over the last seven years, we’ve achieved so much together.”
He then shared seven moments, or milestones, that were achieved during his tenure in Cumberland County.
Among them were the first listening tour to hear what the community had to say about the county’s schools.
“Our community has helped us build our first community education to plan a road map that has guided our mission vision from day one,” Connelly said.
Another memory he shared was dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes it forced in conducting classes and teaching students.
“I couldn’t be prouder of how we remained focused on supporting our students, staff and families during such a challenging time,” Connelly said.
The third was #WeAreCCS, the hashtag and social media initiative aimed at drawing the community together to face challenges, which Connelly said became the heartbeat of the schools.
“Through the many challenges we faced personally and collectively, it reminded us who we are and how we all rise together,” Connelly said. “We are family.”
Connelly recalled how supportive the school community was when he was hospitalized after being diagnosed with cancer in his jaw and underwent treatment.
He also spoke about the achievement of Cumberland County Schools being named as one of Forbes magazine’s best employers in North Carolina in 2024. They ranked 47th out of 100 employers.
Connelly specifically cited the advancement of students through the Performance, Accountability, Support and Empowerment program, an initiative implemented by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction for schools designated as low-performing.
The program resulted in the removal of 17 Cumberland County schools from the low-performing list. Expected growth goals are determined with data to compare the predicted performance of students on standardized tests with the actual performance score.
Another achievement, Connelly noted, is earning the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s Purple Star award for each of the last five years, recognizing CCS support for military families and students.
“This is what focus, support and teamwork can achieve. I’m proud of the work that’s been done at each school,” he said.
The last milestone was watching the 2025 graduation ceremonies.
“Watching our students cross the stage is a memory I’ll always carry,” Connelly said.
His final graduation ceremony as the superintendent was last week at Reid Ross Classical School.
“It was an honor to shake the hand … of our final graduate of the Class of 2025. Congratulations.”
