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Student proposes 'Project Freedom' pilot to fund menstrual products in Cumberland County Schools
Summary
A Cumberland County high school senior asked the Board of Education to establish a pilot program to fund and stock menstrual products in several high schools, citing period poverty and requests for funding to make 'GAP closets' permanent.
Amber Johnson, a senior at Grays Creek High School, urged the Cumberland County Board of Education during the public forum to create a pilot program that would fund and sustain access to menstrual products at selected high schools.
Johnson described "Project Freedom, Empowering Period Dignity," a student initiative she developed as a Girl Scout Gold Award candidate. She told the board that lack of access to menstrual products causes students to miss class or avoid activities and framed the issue as one of health, equity and educational access. "Menstrual products are not a luxury, they are a basic necessity," Johnson said.
Her proposal asks the district to fund a pilot program at designated schools so that supplies are not dependent solely on donations. She named several schools she hopes to include in the pilot: E.E. Smith High School, Westover High School, Grays Creek High School, Douglas Byrd High School, and Fayetteville (70 First) High School. (Transcript uses several spellings for some schools; names have been normalized to the district's official school names where possible.)
Johnson proposed that products be stocked in restrooms, the nurses' office, and existing "GAP" (Girls Against Period Poverty) closets so students can access supplies discreetly. She requested that the board establish a district-funded pilot to guarantee ongoing supplies and reduce the stigma and academic impact she described.
No formal board decision or vote on the pilot was recorded during the meeting. Meeting protocol that evening reiterated that the board typically does not respond during the public forum; staff and board members acknowledged the comment and the superintendent said remarks would be taken "under advisement." The transcript contains no subsequent agenda item or motion to create a funded pilot program.
The request will likely proceed through staff and committee review before any funding is proposed; the transcript does not record any follow-up assignment, timeline, or funding source.
Ending Amber Johnson's proposal placed period products into the meeting record as an equity and student-support issue. The board did not act on the request during the meeting; any district response would appear in later staff reports or committee agendas if the board directs follow-up.
