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…