More than 50 people gathered Feb. 19 at Cliffdale Community Church in opposition to the Cumberland County Board of Education’s recommendations to stop year-round schooling and potentially close and consolidate some schools.
The event was hosted by parents of students at E.E. Miller Elementary School — a year-round school that is being considered for a traditional calendar.
The parents presented data in support of year-round education, estimated costs to operate the year-round school, and have created a petition and online Facebook group for other others in Cumberland County to ask questions and make comments about the proposal.
Year-round and traditional-calendar schools both use 180 instructional days. Year-round calendars typically follow 45 days of instruction with 15-day breaks, while traditional calendars provide about nine months of instruction followed by a three-month summer break.
The organizers encouraged other parents and community members to sign up to speak at the Board of Education’s next regular meeting at 6 p.m. March 10, in the school district’s board room at 2465 Gillespie St. in Fayetteville.
The Rev. Dale Paschall, senior pastor of Cliffdale Community Church, presented the information that he said E.E. Miller parents Leta Brown and Kenya Wall gathered from the Cumberland County Schools facilities assessment and the master planning services executive summary from January 2025.
According to the facilities assessment, E.E. Miller is not among the worst school buildings in the district, and it has adequate space.
“We’re not taking political sides … We’re here to offer this up as a community platform for the parents and the children of E.E. Miller and the other schools affected by this,” Paschall said.
Board of Education’s recommendations
He recapped the Board of Education’s Feb. 9 meeting, where members voted to recommend closing nine schools, building three new schools and getting rid of year-round schooling.
The affected year-round schools are E.E. Miller Elementary, Anne Chesnutt Middle School and Reid Ross Classic Middle and High School.
Anne Chesnutt and Reid Ross are being recommended for closures, with students being reassigned to other schools.
Other recommendations are:
• Building a new elementary school on the J.W. Coon Elementary campus and closing Sherwood Park and Brentwood elementaries, which would be consolidated with Coon;
• Building a new elementary school on the Ferguson-Easley campus and closing Margaret Willis Elementary, which would be consolidated with Ferguson-Easley;
• Building a new Stedman Elementary school on the current Stedman Primary campus and consolidating the elementary school with the primary school;
• Moving the Ramsey Street Alternative School to the Douglas Byrd Middle School north building on Ireland Drive before the start of the 2026-2027 school year;
• Closing Alger B. Wilkins High School and moving its students to Douglas Byrd High School;
• Closing Manchester Elementary School in Spring Lake and reassigning its students to W.T. Brown Elementary
Not all recommendations were unanimous.
Board Chair Judy Musgrave and members Dr. Mary Hales and Deanna Jones, who voted against eliminating year-round schooling, attended the community meeting.
“The board did have some concerns that evening,” Paschall said. “Several of the votes were very narrowly decided. There were some concerns over the rushed decision making process. There were concerns over transparency issues as well as the impact on families and communities.”
Board Vice Chair Jacquelyn Brown, who voted in favor of all recommendations, also attended.
At the Feb. 9 auxiliary services committee meeting held before the regular meeting, school board member Greg West estimated that the recommendations would save the district $31 million in maintenance costs and about $5.5 million in operating costs and decrease the district’s campuses from 85 to 76.
Year-round programs
Paschall said the recommendation to close year-round programs affects more than 450 students. He said year-round schooling prevents summer learning loss and provides families with flexible breaks through the year, according to data from the National Association for Year Round Education.
He said studies show that students on a year-round schedule have a 20% reduction in learning loss, 15% improvement in reading gains and 12% math proficiency increase.
Paschall also detailed a proposal made by E.E. Miller parents that recommends merging two to three schools operating at 75% or lower capacity and redirecting the savings to maintain E.E. Miller’s year-round program.
The parents’ plan is phased, with the first phase being for community engagement and town hall meetings for affected communities; the second phase is evaluating infrastructure needs at schools that would take on additional students and prioritizing consolidations at schools with higher facility condition scores and available capacity; the third phase would be for planning, developing student assignment plans, transportation routes and staff reassignments; and the fourth phase would be implementation while maintaining year-round school at E.E Miller.
The parents are asking the public to contact board members, attend board meetings, sign a petition to keep year-round schooling in Cumberland County and to join the Save our Schools, Protect our Past-CCS Families Facebook group to post video or written testimonials. As of Feb. 20 ,the page has 181 members.
E.E. Miller parents speak out
Toni Stewart, an E.E. Miller parent who created the petition, said her 17-year-old son has attended year-round classes since kindergarten.
She said she and other families now how year-round schedules have benefited their children
“We have time, even though it does not feel like that … We want to be informed so we can make an impact that’s heard beyond the … people in this room,” Stewart said.
State law requires boards to hold public hearings for a proposed closures or consolidations of schools before taking final action.
Other parents who joined Stewart at the community meeting included Brown, Walls, E.E. Miller parent Brittany Williams, and E.E. Miller PTO President Michelle Carzarez.
Williams said she has four children at E.E. Miller, including one who was failing before attending the school and is now on the honor roll.
“We are standing here today for all of our children, the failing children that are growing, for the children are already thriving to continue to thrive. Together, we can make a difference,” she said.
James Freeman is another E.E. Miller parent who attended the meeting and whose daughter is in the second grade.
He asked how transitioning E.E. Miller to a regular calendar would benefit students who are enrolled there.
“Year-round schools work for many children, especially children who need shorter breaks, … (and) consistent rhythm and reduced learning loss,” Freeman said. “Removing that structure does not improve outcomes; it absolutely disrupts them.”
Reid-Ross parent speaks out
Paige Porchia’s daughter attends Reid-Ross Classical Middle School, one of the two year-round schools under consideration for closure.
“I spent years searching for the right educational environment for my daughter, one that would challenge her, support her success and prepare her for the future,” Porchia said. “I chose Reid Ross because this school prioritizes academic rigor, structured learning and holistic student development; and for the last year I’ve watched (my daughter) grow in confidence and ability because of it.”
She said many Cumberland County families chose year-round schools because “they work,” and offer continuity, structure and academic support.
“Quality should matter as much as quantity and more, in my opinion, especially when it affects our children’s futures. I love our community, and I want to see every child succeed, but I urge the board to protect and strengthen the schools that are serving the students well … and please don’t eliminate them,” Porchia said.
Anne Chesnutt history
Anne Chesnutt Middle School is the other year-round school in the district being considered for closure.
Stewart said Anne Chesnutt is important to the history of the Black community.
“That’s local Black history that needs to be protected. That is literally being threatened right now,” she said.
Anne Chesnutt, after whom the school is named, is the sister of Charles Chesnutt, a prominent African American author of the late 1800s. She was a significant Black educator and her name is historic in its own right.
The Rev. Mary Owens, 75, is a retired educator who was part of the last graduating class for Anne Chesnutt High School before it became a middle school.
The original Chesnutt School was on Raeford Road, next to where Lewis Chapel is located, and it moved to its current location in 1958, Owens said.
“Unless you’ve had your history erased, you don’t know how it feels,” Owens said.
Owens said that when Chesnutt became a middle school, everything from the high school was “erased and taken off the walls.”
“We pay our taxes here like anyone else. Include us at the table … We are the people that go into the ballot box and put a little X there. We have the power, and we have the voice. Let your voice be heard,” Owens said.
Owens is a former principal of Ramsey Street High School, which is the district’s alternative school and is under consideration for moving to the Douglas Byrd Middle School north building on Ireland Drive. Owens said she views the children at that school as having promise instead of being at-risk.
“There are no throw-away children. There are no throw-away people. There are no throw-away schools,” Owens emphatically said.
State senator weighs in
State Sen. Val Applewhite was also in attendance at the meeting.
Applewhite said one of her children attended Chesnutt, and she has a niece with two children who attend E.E. Miller.
She said school board members and county commissioners who make decisions that affect local schools are facing pressures from federal and state funding cuts. She said Opportunity Scholarships takes public tax dollars that are invested in private schools, estimating that by 2033, $7 billion will be invested in private schools instead of public schools. She said North Carolina is ranks near the bottom nationwide for teacher pay and per-pupil spending.
She said that while parents call school board members, they should also call their legislators.
“If we don’t fight, y’all, the plan is to gut public education, and we’re nearing that in North Carolina,” Applewhite said.
Staff Writer Rachael Riley can be reached at [email protected] or 910-486-3528.
