Board approves attendance‑zone shifts to return students to Clarkton School and offers East Arcadia property to county

The Bladen County Board of Education approved a student attendance‑zone modification that will reassign portions of the Bladenboro and Elizabethtown primary attendance areas back to Clarkton School of Discovery for the 2026–27 school year.

District staff said the change largely restores the prior Booker T. Washington boundary for pre‑K through grade 4 and estimated about 85 students from Elizabethtown Primary would shift back to Clarkton. Transportation staff said the move should ease overcrowding at some schools and shorten travel for many families; the district will send letters to affected families and honor transfer requests made under existing policy.

Separately the board approved a resolution to declare East Arcadia School surplus to the district's needs and to offer the property first to the Bladen County Commissioners, in keeping with statutory requirements for disposition of school property. The superintendent said the school will close on or about June 15 and that the county has the right of first refusal; if the county declines, the district may explore sale, lease or other reuse options.

The board tabled action on the Plainview School property, asking staff to provide additional market guidance including appraisal or real‑estate input and to clarify differences between sale and lease options and any statutory constraints. Board members discussed nonprofit interest in acquiring surplus buildings but emphasized the need for clear market information and appraisal guidance before advertising an upset‑bid process.

What happens next: Letters will be mailed to families affected by the attendance‑zone change; administration will advertise East Arcadia to the county and return with more detailed guidance on Plainview before further action.