Cumberland County Board of Education members held two meetings Feb. 11 to decide which schools in the district should be closed or consolidated, causing some board members to feel the vote was rushed.
Board members were split on some votes that included getting rid of year-round schools, closing nine schools and building three new elementaries, a new E.E Smith High School and a classroom addition for Gray’s Creek High School.
Possible savings to the district
During an auxiliary services committee meeting held before the regular meeting, board member Greg West said that in 2023, the board approved consulting firm MGT to conduct a facilities survey on all of the district’s buildings for $1.2 million, which was presented to the board in February 2024.
Last March, the board asked MGT to conduct a redistricting and consolidation study that cost $208,000, which was presented to the board in December…