NORTH CAROLINA — The Cumberland County Board of Education voted Tuesday night to close two elementary schools as part of an ongoing effort to address aging facilities and district needs.
Board members voted 5-3 to approve the closures of J.W. Coon Elementary School and Manchester Elementary School during the meeting.
According to the school board, students affected by the closures will be reassigned for the next school year. District officials said additional information about where those students will attend school will be shared in the “near future.”
The board had previously recommended reassigning Manchester Elementary students to W.T. Brown Elementary School. Members also proposed constructing a new elementary school campus on the J.W. Coon property.
The decision comes as Cumberland County Schools faces major facility challenges across the district. Earlier this year, the school board approved a plan aimed at addressing an estimated $800 million in needed repairs and upgrades to school buildings and facilities. That proposal included closing and demolishing several schools while consolidating others.
School officials have said the changes are intended to reduce long-term costs and improve district facilities.
