Cumberland County Schools Approves Closures, Seeks $300M Funding for Upgrades

The Cumberland County Board of Education passed a plan Monday to shut down and demolish multiple schools. They're also seeking $300 million from county commissioners to fund $800 million in repairs and improvements across the district. The board voted to begin closing Manchester Elementary School, Anne Chesnutt Middle School, and Reid Ross Classical Schools.

These decisions followed months of work with MGT of America Consulting and the district's Master Facilities Assessment. Several votes squeaked through. Manchester Elementary's closure process won 6-3. Anne Chesnutt Middle School and Reid Ross Classical Schools' closure processes both passed 5-4.

"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," said board member Greg West, according to CityView.

The board also gave the green light to construct a new E.E. Smith High School at the current campus and to request $150 million from commissioners for that project. Reid Ross Classical facilities will house students during construction.

Additional approved changes include constructing new elementary schools at the J.W. Coon and Ferguson-Easley campuses. Sherwood Park and Brentwood elementary schools will close and get torn down, with a new campus going up at the J.W. Coon site. Stedman Primary School will also be knocked down and rebuilt.

Ramsey Street High School will relocate to the Douglas Byrd Middle North building before the 2026-2027 school year kicks off. That vote passed 5-4. Alger B. Wilkins High School will shift to open space within Douglas Byrd High School.

E.E. Miller Elementary will switch from a year-round calendar to a traditional calendar before the 2027-2028 school year. Cumberland Virtual Academy will transfer to Seventy-First High School. T.C. Berrien will become the Exceptional Children's Center.