The Cumberland County Board of Education approved a series of school consolidation and facility actions Monday, including advancing plans to close three schools.
Several of the votes—including ones to move forward on closing Manchester Elementary School, Anne Chesnutt Middle School, and Reid Ross Classical Schools—were narrowly approved.
The decisions are part of a broader district effort to modernize school facilities, including plans for a new E.E. Smith High School, while responding to enrollment changes and addressing more than $800 million in maintenance and repair needs across the system.
As part of Monday’s actions, the board also voted to request $150 million from the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners to build a new E.E. Smith High School on the school’s current campus.
Manchester and Chesnutt are among eight schools on the district’s list of possible school closures outlined by the school district in January.
Also Monday, the board approved several other facility changes. Two school programs will be relocated as part of the consolidation plan. Ramsey Street High School’s program will move to the Douglas Byrd campus, while Alger B. Wilkins High School will relocate to available space within Douglas Byrd High School.
The board also advanced several major construction projects, including plans for a new E.E. Smith High on the current campus, a new elementary school on the J.W. Coon campus, a new elementary school on the Ferguson-Easley campus, and a new Stedman Elementary School on the current Stedman Primary School campus.
Additional changes approved Monday include transitioning E.E. Miller Elementary School from a year-round calendar to a traditional calendar before the 2027–28 school year, relocating Cumberland Virtual Academy to Seventy-First High School, and designating T.C. Berrien as the district’s Exceptional Children Center.
Under North Carolina law, school boards must consider the impact of a proposed school closure or consolidation and hold a public hearing before making a final decision. The law also requires boards to consider factors such as student reassignment, transportation and community impact. Any final closure would require additional board action after the public hearing process
District planning states that the statutory process will include public forums, community meetings, public notices and additional opportunities for families, staff, and community members to provide feedback and input.
Board Divided on Pace, Process, Community Impact
The votes followed hours of debate during committee and board meetings, where some members questioned whether the district was moving too quickly to advance major consolidation and facility decisions.
Board member Mary Hales said the board had previously discussed waiting until late February to review additional information before moving forward with actions that could affect multiple school communities.
“I don’t understand why we’re trying to rush, and it is a rush, because we don’t have enough information to make critical decisions that will be affecting so many people,” Hales said during committee discussion.
Other board members, including Greg West, said the district spent years studying facility needs and warned that continued delays could stall projects that have been discussed for more than a decade.
“After 10 years of talking about building a new E.E. Smith, it’s hard to believe we’re still having difficulty getting this through,” West said.
Series of Narrow Votes Shape Consolidation Plan
Several major actions passed by one-vote margins on Monday, reflecting ongoing disagreement among board members about how quickly the district should move forward.
Among the votes:
• Manchester Elementary closure process—approved 6–3
• Ramsey Street High School relocation—approved 5–4
• Alger B. Wilkins High School relocation—approved 5–4
• Anne Chesnutt Middle School closure process—approved 5–4
• E.E. Miller Elementary calendar transition—approved 5–4
• Reid Ross Classical Schools closure process—approved 5–4
Some board members raised concerns about the impact of closures and consolidations on specific communities and whether some facility planning decisions fully account for future growth and enrollment pressures.
During discussion of Manchester Elementary, Hales said families in Spring Lake have already lost multiple schools and want to maintain a neighborhood elementary school.
“The community is not in favor of closing Manchester completely down. They want their own elementary school,” Hales said.
During discussion of a proposed classroom addition at Gray’s Creek High School, board member Terra Jordan raised concerns about whether the capacity increase is enough to keep pace with housing growth in that part of the county.
“When you’re talking about 300 students, that’s not a lot,” Jordan said. “That area is growing. They’re building new housing developments. Right now they’re busting at the seams.”
Supporters of the consolidation plan argued moving students into newer facilities improves learning environments and allows the district to better manage long-term maintenance and capacity needs.
District staff will begin planning and coordination tied to the board’s approved recommendations, including preparing funding requests and developing project timelines.
Additional implementation details, including potential redistricting and construction timelines, are expected to be presented to the board in future meetings.
