I graduated from Massey Hill Classical High School in 2003, part of the first class to complete the full classical pipeline from middle school through graduation. When I learned that Massey Hill is being considered for closure due to “underutilization,” I felt compelled to speak, not out of nostalgia, but out of respect for facts and for what effective education actually looks like.
Massey Hill has never been a traditional high school. There were no varsity sports. Students wore uniforms. The culture emphasized academics, civic responsibility and community service over competition and distraction. That structure was intentional, and it worked.
Cumberland County Schools’ own data show Massey Hill’s high performance.
According to Cumberland County Schools’ own published data, Massey Hill has consistently posted graduation rates that far exceed district averages, often in the high 90s and, in multiple recent years, at or near 100 percent. Those are not the outcomes of a failing or expendable program. Rather, they are the outcomes of a focused, well-run educational environment.
We were taught there that words matter. When I read descriptors like “Underutilized,” it serves as a facilities term. It is not a measure of educational value…