About 20 residents sat together inside Spring Lake Town Hall on Tuesday evening, listening as Spring Lake Commissioner Jackie Jackson spoke about a school she said has been part of the community for generations.
On February 9, the board voted 6-3 to begin the closure process for Manchester Elementary and two other schools. Board members Mary Hales, Judy Musgrave, and Deanna Jones voted against the measure. The school district is considering closing eight campuses as it faces shrinking enrollment.
Manchester Elementary is one of two Cumberland County elementary schools in Spring Lake. If Manchester closes, W.T. Brown would be the town’s only remaining elementary school.
Jackson, who said she once attended Spring Lake Junior High School—now Spring Lake Middle School—described Manchester Elementary as a cornerstone of the town. The possible closure of the school is also personal for her.
“I have three grandchildren,” she said. “One is autistic. Last year he started at Manchester, went to W.T. Brown, and now he’s back at Manchester. So can you imagine what he’s going through?”
Jackson questioned how the district would move Manchester students if the closure moves forward.
“How are you going to take all these kids to W.T. Brown?” she asked.
Jackson said transportation could create additional challenges for working parents and caregivers, particularly if students are reassigned to schools farther from Spring Lake.
“When you talk about moving these babies to Fayetteville, you are talking about time,” she said. “Now you’re talking about the kids not going to be home until sometime after five if they hit that traffic.”
She said many parents already work long hours and rely on predictable school schedules. “You’ve got parents that come home just enough time to get their keys,” Jackson said. “Now the routes get longer and more difficult.”
‘Fight for What You Believe Is Right’
As the discussion continued, Cumberland County school board member Mary Hales, who represents Spring Lake as the board’s District 1 member, encouraged residents to make their voices heard as the district continues reviewing school closures. Hales spent 31 years working in Cumberland County Schools before retiring as a principal.
“Fight for what you believe is right,” Hales said. “There is power in numbers.”
Hales told the group she voted against consolidation-related proposals brought before the board so far. “I’m one of four that voted no all the way across,” she said.
She urged residents to review board documents and meeting minutes before addressing the board during public comment.
“It’s important that you have the facts for yourself,” Hales said. “Go back and read the board minutes. Look at the information that’s posted on the website.”
Hales said residents should familiarize themselves with the district’s discussions so they can clearly explain their concerns when speaking to board members.
“Anyone can go back and read the meetings,” she said. “You can listen to them or read the minutes.”
Credit: Dasia Williams / CityView
‘A Slap In The Face’
Spring Lake, a town of about 11,500 residents in Cumberland County, sits just north of Fayetteville. Residents said recent housing development in the area suggests the town is preparing for growth rather than decline.
Tyrone Short, a Spring Lake community member, said eliminating a local elementary school could discourage families from moving to the town.
“For me, when I look at this—it’s a slap in the face,” Short said. “Parents are not going to want to come here if their kids have no elementary school.”
Last year, Spring Lake leaders approved rezoning along North Main Street for a residential development expected to include about 204 apartment units, one of several projects residents said could bring more families into the area.
“When people move somewhere, they look at the schools first,” Jackson said.
‘We Are Spring Lake’
The school board meets again on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at South View High School in a meeting with an expanded public comment session.
Residents must sign up online to speak and will be given three minutes each during the meeting’s one-hour public comment period, Hales said.
Some attendees questioned why the meeting was scheduled outside Spring Lake. South View High School is about 14 miles from Spring Lake, while Reid Ross Classical School—another district campus—is roughly 9 miles away.
Jackson said she wished the meeting had been scheduled closer to the community.
“Why not have it at Reid Ross?” Jackson asked.
Still, she said the distance would not stop residents from attending.
“If we need rides, we’ll get rides,” she said. “We’re going.”
Petitions opposing the closure process of Manchester Elementary circulated during the meeting as residents discussed coordinating speakers for the board session. Jackson urged the group to attend in large numbers.
“We need to pack that place,” she said. “This is about our children—and it’s about the future of Spring Lake, we are Spring Lake.”
