Mayor, parents, teachers and veterans urge board to reconsider Manchester Elementary closure

Hundreds of community members told the Cumberland County Board of Education at a public hearing that closing Manchester Elementary School would harm students and the Spring Lake community and that the board should consider repair or local rebuilding instead of shuttering the school.

The hearing opened with the board's moderator explaining the purpose: the session was set to gather public comments on the possible closure and the board would not respond during the hearing but would carefully consider remarks before any final decision. The meeting then moved to a string of public comments from staff, parents, veterans, municipal leaders and community groups.

Lisa Dale, a kindergarten instructional assistant at Manchester Elementary, said the school is more than a building and warned about the emotional toll on very young students. "The closure will completely shake up everything they know," Dale said, adding that staff and families have formed tight bonds, and that uncertainty is already causing stress.

Parent and U.S. Army veteran Jenna Brickner cited district materials and DPI surveys, saying Manchester was listed at roughly 75 percent capacity and that district reports show about $6,000,000 in needed repairs, with little of that listed as immediate. "Closing Manchester means 12,000 people have one elementary school in their community," Brickner said, and she warned that planned nearby housing — she said 500 new units — would increase demand for local school seats.

Other speakers raised transportation and capacity concerns. "Think about Manchester students being on long bus rides," parent Savande Brown said, noting a current bus driver shortage and higher fuel and maintenance costs from longer routes. Several speakers described how proposed reassignment plans would send students to Ponderosa and W.T. Brown, and said available seats would be limited.

Community members also challenged the data behind the closure plan. "Manchester receives approximately $8,200 per student," said commenter Sean Brigner, contrasting that with higher per-pupil costs at some small schools. He and others urged the district to invest in repairs, citing past examples where initially large repair estimates were reduced after targeted investments.

Local officials added weight to the appeals. Commissioner Jackie Jackson said closing a school in a growing Spring Lake would undermine community stability and risk overcrowding other schools, while Mayor Kia Anthony said the move would set the municipality "backwards" and urged the board to put people first. Robin Chatwick, a former mayor pro tem and commissioner, called the closure "harmful" and "inequitable" without a clear reinvestment plan.

Several speakers also described practical and equity impacts: a cafeteria worker asked how the district could "sleep at night" knowing staff and children would be displaced; a longtime volunteer described families who lack transportation to reach more distant schools; and community organizations warned that the vote would have long-term consequences for recruitment and local investment.

No board votes or motions were taken at the hearing. The moderator closed the public-comment period and reiterated that the board would review the comments before any final action. "Please be assured that all your comments will be carefully considered before any final decision is reached," the moderator said.

Next steps: the board did not indicate a timeline for a final decision during the hearing; officials said they would take public comments into account as they continue deliberations.