- Details
-
Tuesday, 21 April 2026
-
Written by Dasia Williams, CityView Today
During the final minutes of the Cumberland County Board of Education meeting on April 14, Fathom Geerts, a 17-year-old junior at Alger B. Wilkins High School, stepped to the podium wearing a school T-shirt and holding a printed speech in her hands.
She spoke carefully, pausing at times, about how Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a neurological disorder that affects peripheral nerves and causes muscle weakness, shapes her daily experience at school. She described how walking is painful, how crowded hallways can be dangerous, and how something as simple as carrying books from class to class is not simple for her at all.
Geerts addressed the board as it moves forward with a consolidation and construction plan approved April 2 that repurposes the Alger B. Wilkins campus. The plan shifts students and programs out of the school for the 2026-27 school year and later uses the site as temporary space for other schools before closing it and turning the building over to the county.
Her father, Indra Geerts, who said he is a U.S. Army sergeant first class who trains paratroopers, interrupted the board meeting earlier in the evening after she was not initially called to speak.
“My daughter still has not had the opportunity to speak,” he told the board after more than an hour of testimony.
For the second month in a row, he said, she had come to speak about the importance of keeping a small, flexible school environment that meets her needs.
The meeting, held at the district’s central services building, was expected to follow a standard agenda. Instead, it became a prolonged and at times emotional public forum, as dozens of parents, students, teachers, and community members pushed back against proposals that could reshape schools across Cumberland County.
Those proposals include potential closures or consolidations involving Massey Hill Classical High, Alger B. Wilkins High, Manchester Elementary School and J.W. Coon Elementary School, as well as plans tied to the construction of a new E.E. Smith High School and the use of swing space at Reid Ross Classical School.
‘I Cannot Survive in a Larger School’
When Fathom Geerts spoke, she focused on what a larger school would mean for her day-to-day.
Alger B. Wilkins currently enrolls about 168 students, with a functional capacity of roughly 381, according to a report from MGT, which the school system hired in 2025 to conduct a comprehensive facilities and utilization study of the district’s schools. Alger B. Wilkins is one of the smallest high school settings in the system.
Geerts said it is that smaller, more controlled space—rather than the building itself—that allows her to navigate the school day safely. She said navigating long distances between classes, moving through crowded hallways, and managing physical strain are already constant challenges, and those conditions would be intensified in a larger campus setting.
“I cannot survive in a larger school,” Geerts said.
“My school does not help us in spite of its size or environment, but because of it,” she added.
Geerts said the structure of Alger B. Wilkins allows students like her to function in ways they would not be able to in a traditional setting, where size and pace can make it difficult to keep up physically and emotionally.
“I am not a number. We are not a statistic—it is a second chance at graduation for students who need it,” she said.
Her father later reinforced that point, describing the school as essential to her progress.
“My daughter requires a small, flexible school to be able to succeed and thrive, Alger B. Wilkins has proven to be that school,” he said.
Reid Ross: ‘My School Isn’t Just a Building’
Students and families connected to Reid Ross Classical School described the campus as one of the district’s only year-round options, offering smaller class settings and a nontraditional calendar that many said supports student learning and stability.
Under the district’s approved plan, Reid Ross would be repurposed as a temporary swing space for E.E. Smith High School beginning in the 2027–28 school year, with current students reassigned to other campuses. Paige Porchia, a parent of a student who attends this school, said families chose the model intentionally.
“You’re not just asking families to change schools, you’re asking them to abandon an educational model that was deliberately chosen,” she said.
Cameron Clark, Reid Ross’ student body president, said the school’s value cannot be reduced to data.
“My school isn’t just a building, it is a community made up of people, relationships, and futures,” he said. “Closing the school down would take away these opportunities and rob them of their safe space.”
Michelle Cazarez—PTO president at E.E. Miller Elementary School, who said she was speaking on behalf of Reid Ross families—told the board she had planned for her children to attend the school.
“I’ve spent the last two years considering my child’s educational options once he enters middle school. I was disheartened to hear about the upcoming closure of Reid Ross, a school I was excited for him and his brother to attend for the rest of their grade school years,” she said. “Why would Cumberland County Schools promote a school that would be closing, and why would this happen after the choice program window has closed?”
“Frustrated doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling my family felt that night when we got that phone call the evening of February 9 stating a decision was made about a school we signed up to attend,” she said.
‘Educational Genocide’: Criticism Over Manchester Elementary Closing
Speakers addressing the board raised concerns about the closure process involving Manchester Elementary School, arguing the campus in Spring Lake is being judged on conditions shaped by years of disinvestment, not failure.
Under the district’s approved plan, Manchester Elementary School would be closed as a standalone school beginning in the 2026–27 school year, with students reassigned to other campuses. Robyn Chadwick, a former Spring Lake commissioner, pointed to growth in the area and challenged the district’s conclusions.
“Spring Lake is not shrinking, Spring Lake is growing, and our school system must grow with it,” she said.
She said the school should not be penalized for broader infrastructure issues.
“Manchester Elementary should not be penalized because of an $800 million districtwide repair backlog,” Chadwick said. “In a growing town, removing Manchester Elementary School is not just impractical, it is educational genocide.”
Lynette Smith, a family ambassador for Manchester Elementary, questioned whether the school ever received the investment it needed.
“Are we considering closing Manchester because the school failed or because it was never given the investment it deserved?” Smith said. She said the impact would extend beyond the classroom.
“Closing Manchester is not just a logistical decision; it will impact 301 students, disrupt families, and dismantle a community that has supported generations,” Smith said.
‘We Need a Plan for Our Staff’
Teachers also raised concerns about how closures and consolidations would affect staff across the district, including those at J.W. Coon Elementary. Jamiedre Burns, an Exceptional Children resource teacher at the school, said staff are still waiting for a clear direction.
“It’s not enough to say you’ll have a job; we need to know where, we need to understand what placement looks like,” Burns said. “These staff members cannot be an afterthought; they must be a part of the plan.”
Burns highlighted positions that are not easily reassigned across schools.
“Our data managers, our bookkeepers, our front office staff, our cafeteria workers, these are not positions that exist in abundance, they are individuals who keep our schools functioning,” Burns said.
She said questions remain unanswered about how those roles will be handled.
“What happens when there is only one of these positions at a school that’s already filled? What happens to the people who have dedicated themselves to these roles?” Burns said. “These are not small questions; these are questions about job stability, professional security, and the ability to plan for our futures.”
Despite extended public comment focused on school closures, the board did not take any new action related to closures and consolidations on April 14. The district will conduct a study of Manchester Elementary and J.W. Coon Elementary through May 11, accompanied by a public comment period until April 29.
Public hearings are scheduled for April 27 for Manchester Elementary at the school from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and April 29 for J.W. Coon Elementary at the school from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
A final board vote on the closure of both schools is scheduled for May 12. The next school board meeting is scheduled for May 10.
- Details
-
Tuesday, 14 April 2026
-
Written by Staff Report
Millions of Americans will spend some time in 2026 commemorating 250 years of United States history. The U.S. turns 250 in July 2026, and the summer figures to be an especially celebratory time across the 50 states.
As Americans engage with their nation's history, they might be compelled to learn more about their personal history as well. Genealogy has become a popular pastime in the twenty-first century, and the National Archives offers these tips to anyone looking to do some digging into their personal history as they celebrate 250 years of the United States.
• Start with yourself. The National Archives recommends starting with the person you know best: yourself. Your own personal details can serve as a starting point as you work toward more unknown facets of your family history. After you note all of your own details, learn and document all you can about your parents and then do the same in relation to your grandparents.
• Emphasize four vital components. The National Archive notes that names, dates, places, and relationships are the tools of the family researcher. That's because these nuggets of information have long been used to identify people in public records.
• Peruse any existing family archives. Many families have kept their own archives over the years, even if that record-keeping was not widely known within a family. A relative might have kept various types of documents that help to paint a picture of your genealogy. Ask around in the family to see if anyone has kept records, which might include:
- Newspaper clippings
- Birth and death certificates
- Military certificates
- Marriage licenses
- Letters
- Diaries
- Photographs/photo books
- Scrapbooks
• Let others know. Inform family members near and far that you're working on a genealogy project. A relative might have beaten you to it, and that person could have lots of valuable information and documents to share. Others might be able to point you toward a relative who has become the unofficial family historian. In addition, cousins and aunts and uncles might have records from their own immediate families, which can help you as you conduct your own research.
• Access government records. The U.S. federal census dates all the way back to 1790, which makes it a potentially excellent source of information for your project. State and county archives can also be wonderful resources that keep records of births, deaths, marriages, and other notable events that can help people trace their family histories. Even local libraries might have records of your family, especially if your family has been settled in the same area for a significant amount of time.
American history might be the focal point in the United States in 2026. But that renewed emphasis on history also makes 2026 a great time to study your own family's part in helping the nation make it to its 250th birthday.
How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
