Cumberland County Schools -

Following the recommendation of the Auxiliary Services Committee, the Cumberland County Board of Education approved a series of School Consolidation and Facility Recommendations at its regular Board meeting on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026.

These actions are part of Cumberland County Schools’ (CCS) long-term effort to modernize school facilities, improve learning environments for students and address significant maintenance needs across the district. Over the past year, the district has worked with MGT of America Consulting, an independent third-party firm, to analyze facility conditions, enrollment trends and building utilization. This work builds on the district’s Master Facilities Assessment, which identified more than $800 million in repairs and upgrades needed across Cumberland County Schools facilities.

The recommendations approved by the Board followed a recent Board of Education work session where district staff presented consolidation and construction options for discussion and board feedback.

Approved recommendations

1) New E.E. Smith High School
The Board of Education requested $150 million from the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners for the construction of a new E.E. Smith High School on the current E.E. Smith campus.

2) New Elementary School, J.W. Coon campus
The Board of Education requested $50 million from the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners for the construction of a new elementary school on the J.W. Coon campus and directed district staff to activate the statutory process to reach a final decision regarding the possible closure of Sherwood Park Elementary School and Brentwood Elementary School. This action included demolition of those facilities and the statutory transfer of those parcels to Cumberland County for $1.

3) New Elementary School, Ferguson-Easley campus
The Board of Education requested $40 million from the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners for the construction of a new elementary school on the Ferguson-Easley campus and directed district staff to activate the statutory process to reach a final decision regarding the possible closure of Margaret Willis Elementary School. This action included demolition of the facility and the statutory transfer of that parcel to Cumberland County for $1.

4) New Stedman Elementary School
The Board of Education requested $40 million from the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners for the construction of a new Stedman Elementary School on the current Stedman Primary School campus and directed district staff to activate the statutory process to reach a final decision regarding the possible closure of Stedman Primary School. This action included demolition of the current Stedman Elementary School and the statutory transfer of that parcel to Cumberland County for $1.

5) Gray’s Creek High School addition
The Board of Education requested $20 million from the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners for the construction of a classroom addition at Gray’s Creek High School.

6) Allocation of remaining new construction funds
The Board of Education requested that the remaining $10 million from the original $160 million new construction commitment from the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners be allocated to Cumberland County Schools for contingency funding and for initial design work related to approved construction projects.

7) Ramsey Street High School relocation
The Board voted 5-4 to direct district staff to relocate and rename Ramsey Street High School to the Douglas Byrd Middle North Building before the start of the 2026-2027 school year. The Board also directed staff to activate a plan to vacate the Ramsey Street facilities, demolish the buildings and complete the statutory transfer of those parcels to Cumberland County for $1.

8) Manchester Elementary School
The Board voted 6-3 to direct district staff to activate the statutory process to reach a final decision regarding the possible closure of Manchester Elementary School. This action included the reassignment of students to W.T. Brown Elementary School, demolition of the Manchester Elementary School buildings and the statutory transfer of the parcel to Cumberland County for $1.

9) Alger B. Wilkins High School relocation
The Board voted 5-4 to direct district staff to relocate Alger B. Wilkins High School to available space within Douglas Byrd High School and to activate a plan to vacate the Alger B. Wilkins facilities and complete the statutory transfer of the parcel to Cumberland County for $1.

10) Anne Chesnutt Middle School
The Board voted 5-4 to direct district staff to activate the statutory process to reach a final decision regarding the possible closure of Anne Chesnutt Middle School. This action included the reassignment of students, necessary redistricting to achieve balance among affected schools and the statutory transfer of the Anne Chesnutt parcel to Cumberland County for $1.

11) E.E. Miller Elementary School calendar
The Board approved, by a 5-4 vote, that E.E. Miller Elementary School will transition to a traditional school calendar before the start of the 2027-2028 academic year. This action included the reassignment of students and necessary redistricting to achieve balance among affected schools.

12) Reid Ross Classical Schools
The Board voted 5-4 to direct district staff to activate the statutory process to reach a final decision regarding the possible closure of Reid Ross Classical High School and Reid Ross Classical Middle School. This action included the reassignment of students and allowing the facility to be used as swing space during construction of the new E.E. Smith High School.

13) Former Pauline Jones Elementary School
The Board approved that the former Pauline Jones Elementary School buildings be demolished and that the parcel be statutorily transferred to Cumberland County for $1.

14) Cumberland Virtual Academy and Exceptional Children Center
The Board approved that Cumberland Virtual Academy be relocated to available space within Seventy-First High School and that T.C. Berrien be designated as the Exceptional Children Center.

15) Memorialization committee
The Board directed district staff to establish a broad-based committee to determine how best to memorialize the names, history and legacy of individuals for whom school buildings being taken out of service are named. Special consideration will be given to historically significant artifacts, with future use and placement determined by staff in consultation with the committee.

16) Project timelines and coordination
The Board directed district staff to determine the most appropriate timetable for all approved projects based on coordination of debt scheduling with Cumberland County officials, recommendations from architects and engineers, construction market conditions and Cumberland County Schools staffing capacity. This work is intended to achieve the best possible outcomes for students and staff.

17) Student redistricting
The Board directed district staff to develop and present student redistricting recommendations to the Cumberland County Board of Education, as needed, in advance of each relocation or new construction project nearing completion.

18) Maintenance funding request
The Board of Education requested $300 million from the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners for school maintenance to be allocated over a seven-year capital improvement plan addressing Priority 1 and Priority 2 repairs identified in the MGT consulting report dated December 2025.

Next Steps
Now that the Cumberland County Board of Education has taken action, Cumberland County Schools staff will begin the work of implementing the approved recommendations.

This work will include moving the Board-approved funding requests forward to the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners for consideration and approval, as well as beginning the planning and coordination required to carry out the directives approved by the Board.

For schools identified for possible closure, reassignment or consolidation, staff will activate the statutory process required by North Carolina law to reach a final decision. This process includes multiple steps and will involve public engagement opportunities for families, staff and community members, including but not limited to public forums, community meetings, public notices and additional opportunities for feedback and input, before any final decisions are made.

Cumberland County Schools will continue to provide updates as this work progresses and as additional information becomes available.