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Board asks superintendent to solicit bids for third‑party school‑closure studies on four schools
Summary
Board members directed staff to solicit bids from disinterested third parties for school‑closure studies covering Ashley Chapel Educational Center, Cordova, Ellerbe Middle and West Rockingham Elementary and asked that bids include timeline, scope (redistricting/transportation) and price; staff said proposals will be returned by September.
After discussing facilities and enrollment trends, the Richmond County Board of Education voted to direct staff to seek bids from independent consultants to conduct formal school‑closure studies on four campuses: Ashley Chapel Educational Center, Cordova (Cordova/variants in record), Ellerbe Middle and West Rockingham Elementary.
Board members emphasized transparency and asked that bids include a timeline, the scope of work (including any required redistricting analysis and transportation impacts) and cost estimates. One board member noted an off‑the‑top estimate of about $40,000 for an external study covering multiple schools; "If that $40,000 saves $3,000,000 a year, it's an investment," a member said. The board directed staff to return vendor proposals and recommendations at the September meeting.
Members debated whether the studies should be done internally or through a third party to ensure community trust; staff said a preliminary internal review is possible but that redistricting and transportation modeling may require outside support. The board approved a motion to solicit bids and asked staff to include the previously completed facility study materials when posting the request for proposals.
