Local News

School board backtracks on consolidating campuses

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Tuesday, 17 March 2026

Written by Dasia Williams, CityView Today

The Cumberland County Board of Education voted March 10 to rescind several student reassignment and facility decisions it approved on Feb. 9, reversing course after weeks of criticism from parents, educators, and community leaders.
Board members rescinded votes affecting Ramsey Street High School and Alger B. Wilkins High School, while also approving recommendations to reverse a planned calendar change for E.E. Miller Elementary School and halt the demolition and property transfer of the former Pauline Jones Elementary School campus.
The decision means E.E. Miller Elementary School will remain on its current year-round calendar rather than transitioning to a traditional schedule before the 2027–28 school year. The board also approved rescinding its decision to demolish the Pauline Jones buildings and transfer the property to Cumberland County. That means the campus will continue to be used by the district.
Several of the reversals followed recommendations from the board’s Auxiliary Services Committee, which unanimously voted on March 3 to ask the full board to reconsider the February decisions after hearing concerns from parents and community members.
Outside the board meeting at South View High School, residents, students, and parents gathered holding handmade signs and wearing school pride T-shirts representing several affected campuses. Some students held posters reading “We’re Here to Protect the Nest” and “Byrd Is Not the Alternative.”
In recent weeks, community members organized meetings and public comment campaigns across the county in response to the district’s proposals to close or consolidate schools, including gatherings in Spring Lake opposing the possible closure of Manchester Elementary School.
Also March 10, the board approved revisions to the district’s 2026–27 school calendars, including updates to the traditional, year-round and Cumberland Polytechnic High School calendars.
Board Reverses Ramsey Street Relocation
In one vote on March 10, the board rescinded its Feb. 9 decision to reassign and rename Ramsey Street High School to the Douglas Byrd Middle North building before the start of the 2026-27 school year.
Instead, the board approved relocating Ramsey Street High School to the former Pauline Jones Elementary School campus.
The motion passed 6-3. Board members Jacquelyn Brown, Greg West, Susan Williams, Terra Jordan, Delores Bell, and Jackie Warner voted in favor. Deanna Jones, Judy Musgrave, and Mary Hales voted against the motion.
Before the vote, Musgrave said she opposed the change based on feedback from the community.
“Well, the only thing that I say about it is that the teachers, the students, the community—they don’t want that,” Musgrave said. “And so my vote would be a no for that.”
Alger B. Wilkins Reassignment Revised
The board also voted 6-3 to rescind its February 9 approval to relocate Alger B. Wilkins High School to available space within Douglas Byrd High School.
Under the revised plan approved Tuesday, Alger B. Wilkins High School will instead be reassigned to the Douglas Byrd Middle North building.
Board members Brown, West, Williams, Jordan, Bell, Warner voted in favor with Jones, Musgrave, and Hales opposing.
Jones said she opposed the move because she does not believe Alger B. Wilkins should be relocated at all, adding that the board had not fully considered the potential impact on students.
“I don’t think Alger B. Wilkins needs to move at all,” Jones said. “With that special group of kids, they need to be where they’re at. We’re not looking at what the consequences are, including mental health and we always talk about the mental health of the students.”
Hales also raised concerns about the move, describing the school as a supportive environment for many students.
“Alger B. Wilkins is a safe haven for a number of our students,” Hales said. “When we talk about our children and their successes, it should include every single student in the Cumberland County school system.”
Jordan, who supported the revised plan, said she recommended the alternative relocation over concerns that Alger B. Wilkins students would struggle sharing space inside Douglas Byrd High School.
“I knew they could not go into Douglas Byrd High School and be successful in that building,” Jordan said.
Moving the program to the Douglas Byrd North building, she said, would allow students to maintain “their own identity” and provide “a safe space for our children to be in.”
‘This Decision Is Not About Buildings’
Several teachers who spoke during public comment—many wearing shirts representing their schools—urged the board to consider the academic and emotional impact of school closings and consolidations on students already facing significant challenges.
Brianna Grullon, an English teacher at Douglas Byrd High School, said the district should carefully examine the equity implications of combining schools that already serve high concentrations of students of color and economically disadvantaged students.
“This decision is not about buildings,” Grullon said. “It is about fairness. It is about opportunity.”
“When schools that are already majority-minority and overwhelmingly economically disadvantaged are combined, the result is deeper concentration and greater isolation,” she added.
Nicole Rivers, an English teacher at Douglas Byrd High School and a 2021 Sandhills Regional Teacher of the Year finalist, said the proposal would place additional strain on students already facing economic challenges.
“Our students should not have to carry the weight of a decision that tells them their needs and potential come second to somebody’s budget,” Rivers said.
“Alger B. Wilkins is not just a school, but a carefully constructed community meant to support students who would otherwise fall through the cracks,” she added.
Gabriel Stumbaugh, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Anne Chesnutt Middle School, said closing schools because of aging facilities ignores years of delayed maintenance decisions.
“I don’t believe this is truly just a funding issue,” Stumbaugh said. “It is a management issue.”
“If maintenance wasn’t addressed proactively in the past, the solution shouldn’t be closing the school and disrupting the lives of the people who learn and work there every day,” he said.
Melissa Henecke, a counselor with Cumberland Academy 6-12, the district’s virtual school, urged the board not to relocate the school’s in-person hub to a traditional high school campus.
“The building is not just an address,” Henecke said. “It is the anchor of our program’s identity and community.”
“For a virtual school, in-person touch points are everything,” she added. “Many families chose this program specifically because their children struggle in large traditional school environments.”
Tamika Kelly, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators and a longtime Cumberland County educator, said consolidation decisions can have ripple effects across school communities.
“These decisions have impacts that are beyond financial,” Kelly said. “They are disruptive.”
“They are disruptive to the learning journeys of the students, especially those with the most needs,” she added.
‘This Is a System Failure’
Several elected officials and community leaders also addressed the board, raising concerns about the broader impact school closures and relocations could have across Cumberland County.
Spring Lake Mayor Kia Anthony spoke in opposition to the proposed closure of Manchester Elementary School, calling it part of a pattern of disinvestment affecting the town.
“This is not a failure of our children, our families, or our community,” Anthony said. “This is a system failure.”
“Communities do not grow stronger by losing schools,” she added. “Families do not move to towns that keep losing neighborhood schools and calling it progress.”
Former Cumberland County Commissioner Charles Evans also urged the board to reconsider school closures in what he described as a majority-minority district.
“Closing public schools in a majority-minority district risks increasing inequity, disrupting learning, and destabilizing communities,” Evans said.
“Public schools are more than classrooms,” he added. “They are safe spaces, meal providers, meeting centers and sources of pride in many neighborhoods.”
Rev. Mary Owens, a retired educator and alumna of Anne Chesnutt High School before it became a middle school, spoke about the school’s historical significance.
“The legacy of Anne Chesnutt High School should not die,” Owens said.
“When we were there, it was separate, but it was never equal,” she added. “But those teachers gave us the audacity to dream.”
Board Members Defend Consolidation Effort
Following the votes, several board members addressed the district’s broader facilities plan and the criticism it has generated in recent weeks. West defended the initiative, saying the district’s recommendations were based on two independent facility studies conducted over three years at a cost of about $1.2 million.
West also pushed back against claims that the proposals were motivated by race.
“Race was not used or mentioned in the facility reports, nor should it have been,” West said. “The analysis focused on the age, condition and efficiency of the buildings.”
West said the goal of the plan is to move students and staff out of aging facilities and into newer learning environments while reducing long-term maintenance costs.
“No child—regardless of race—should be expected to learn in 1950s-era buildings that require millions of dollars in repairs when better options are available,” West said.
West said the broader initiative could eliminate more than $31 million in deferred maintenance and generate millions of dollars in annual operating savings that could be reinvested in students and teachers.
But other board members questioned both the pace and the priorities of the consolidation effort. Jones said the district should focus more attention on academic performance before pursuing major structural changes.
“We need to be concerned about 27 low-performing schools,” Jones said. “That’s where our focus needs to be.”
Hales said the district must also consider how past maintenance decisions contributed to the current situation.
“Our structures were not taken care of down through the years like they should have been,” Hales said. “And the majority of those structures were housing minority students.”
Hales said the district should focus on supporting students and communities rather than closing schools.
“We do not need to move these schools,” she said. “We need to be concerned about the success of our children.”
Musgrave said she believes the board must keep its focus on students and the district’s legal obligation to provide a sound basic education.
“I want to keep the main thing the main thing,” Musgrave said. “And that’s children first.”
The next Cumberland County Board of Education meeting is scheduled for April 14.

Government Watch:Public forum launched for City Council meetings; Public hearings to be held throughout County

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Tuesday, 17 March 2026

Written by Jami McLaughlin

Mayor Mitch Colvin highlighted his first 100 days in office in a State of the City address with the current council on March 10. The address emphasized priorities such as economic growth, housing and infrastructure improvements. He noted the importance of positioning Fayetteville to capture economic activity linked to the regional growth of the Triad region and the future I-685 corridor.

Behind the scenes of sleep: FTCC program energizes futures while patients rest

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Tuesday, 10 March 2026

Written by Dorothy Covey-Elleby, FTCC Department Chair-Polysomnography

When most people picture healthcare careers, they imagine busy emergency rooms, operating suites, or primary care offices. But an exciting and fast-growing field is transforming lives overnight by focusing on one of the body’s most powerful performance boosters: sleep. Polysomnography, commonly known as sleep technology, gives professionals the opportunity to help patients wake up more rested, more productive, and more energetic, while also catching hidden health risks that often go unnoticed during the day.
In December 2025, Fayetteville Technical Community College celebrated a major milestone when it graduated its first cohort of students from the Polysomnography program, launching new careers in this dynamic, high-impact specialty. These graduates are now prepared to step into sleep labs and diagnostic centers where every shift offers a mix of advanced technology, direct patient care, and the satisfaction of knowing their work can prevent serious health problems tied to poor sleep. With National Sleep Awareness Week, March 8 through 14, it is the perfect time to talk about FTCC’s Polysomnography program.
Turning Sleep into a Superpower
Sleep technologists are healthcare professionals who typically work overnight in hospital-based, physician-office-based, or independent diagnostic sleep testing facilities, where they monitor patients while they sleep to identify disorders such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and movement disorders. Far from simply “watching people sleep,” they guide patients through the process, apply sensors, ensure safety and comfort, and collect critical data that physicians use to diagnose conditions that may be draining a patient’s energy or threatening long-term health.
Poor or fragmented sleep is more than an inconvenience; chronic sleep problems are linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression, and an increased risk of workplace and motor vehicle accidents, which means early detection can change, and even save, lives. Sleep technologists also support therapies such as positive airway pressure that help patients breathe more easily and sleep more deeply, often restoring the energy they thought they had lost for good. “Patients often tell us it’s the first time in years they’ve felt rested,” one FTCC graduate shared. “Knowing I played a role in that is incredibly rewarding.”
Inside FTCC’s Polysomnography Program
At Fayetteville Technical Community College, the Polysomnography program prepares students for this in-demand career through a blend of classroom instruction, hands-on laboratory training, and real-world clinical experience. Students learn how the body functions during sleep, how sleep disorders impact cardiovascular, respiratory, and mental health, and how to use sophisticated equipment to record brain waves, breathing patterns, heart rhythms, and muscle activity throughout the night.
The program emphasizes professionalism, communication, and problem-solving, so graduates are ready to reassure anxious patients, troubleshoot technology in real time, and work as part of a collaborative healthcare team. Enrollment is accessible, and program completers are eligible to sit for national credentialing exams, including the Registered Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT) exam, positioning them for immediate entry into the workforce. Alumni already work in hospitals, independent sleep centers, and specialty clinics across the region and beyond. “This program opened doors I didn’t even know existed,” another graduate noted. “It gave me a career where I truly help people every night.”
A Great Fit for Career-Changers and Military-Connected Students
Polysomnography is an appealing path for individuals transitioning from other fields or military service, especially those who enjoy technology, structured environments, and mission-focused work. Many veterans appreciate the balance of technical skills and patient interaction, while the overnight schedule can be ideal for students balancing family responsibilities or continuing their education during the day. The work environment is often calm but focused, and every shift offers a mix of science, problem-solving, and patient interaction that keeps the role engaging.
Because sleep technologists help uncover conditions that might otherwise go undiagnosed, such as sleep apnea that contributes to high blood pressure or cardiac strain, they often serve as a crucial link in a patient’s overall care plan. For many professionals, the reward comes from knowing that a single night’s study can lead to years of healthier, more energized days for their patients.
Strong Demand and Bright Job Outlook
Job outlook and earning potential for trained sleep technologists remain strong, with credentialed professionals commonly earning between about 55,000 and 75,000 dollars annually, depending on experience, region, and work setting. Broader national data on polysomnographic technologists and related health technologist roles show projected growth in the coming years, reflecting the increasing recognition of sleep as a vital component of preventive healthcare. One analysis estimates a 23.2 percent increase in jobs for polysomnographic technologists over a recent ten-year period, underscoring growing demand for professionals who can conduct and interpret sleep studies.
Educators and program directors nationwide report a large unmet need for qualified sleep technologists and anticipate rising educational standards as sleep centers incorporate more advanced diagnostic and therapeutic technologies. For FTCC graduates, that translates into strong job prospects, pathways to specialization and leadership, and opportunities to advance alongside an evolving field that blends innovation with direct patient impact.
For more information on FTCC’s Polysomnography program and how to enroll, call 910-486-3685 or email coveyeld@faytechcc.edu.
For students, career-changers, and military-connected individuals seeking a healthcare profession that combines science, technology, and purpose, FTCC’s Polysomnography program offers a fun, meaningful way to help people wake up to healthier, more energetic lives, one night at a time.

A completely different life: One woman’s health transformed, twice, by bariatric surgery

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Tuesday, 10 March 2026

Written by Lia Tremblay

One night in January of 2023, Ginny Capiot found herself tossing and turning.
“I was just so excited,” she said. “Not nervous at all, but definitely feeling some butterflies.”
It wasn’t a new job, a wedding or a dream vacation that had her so giddy with anticipation, but it was something she’d been planning for a long time. The next morning, she’d be undergoing bariatric surgery.
Bariatric surgery alters the function of the digestive system to cause significant weight loss. It is for patients who have exhausted all other options for reaching a healthy weight and whose excess pounds are expected to lead to serious health consequences — if they haven't already.
For Capiot, serious health problems had already become apparent. After being diagnosed with diabetes about 20 years earlier, she was beginning to experience complications that come from reduced blood flow in some diabetes patients: eye problems that led to worsening vision and nerve damage that caused a growing numbness in her feet.
“It was then that I started to think, OK, this is getting out of control,” she said. “I needed to do something.”
Capiot had tried many times to lose weight before, but the efforts seemed increasingly futile.
“I had dieted and dieted, for many years,” she said. “And I had periods where I would work out religiously and maybe lose 20 pounds. I just couldn’t seem to get the kind of results that would really make a difference.”
Her primary care doctor referred her to Ovie Appresai, MD, a surgeon who has specialized in weight loss surgery for the past six years. After the first consultation, Capiot knew she was on a good path.
“He was very reassuring,” she said. “He felt confident that this was going to go well and that I would have the tools I needed to make it successful.”
But Capiot still had to clear some hurdles with her insurance company. She had to commit to a strict, six-month fitness program and to learn more about how surgery would forever change her eating habits.
After about nine months (and that night of tossing and turning), she was wheeled into the operating room.
“The surgery went fine, and I went right home with no problems,” she said. “I took some time off of work, but I was back up and at it by about three weeks after surgery.”
That is when Capiot put all she’d learned about her post-surgical eating habits into action. Starting with broth and soft food like eggs and cheese, she was then able to move on to ground beef and a broader variety of foods. She can now eat most of the things she used to enjoy, but in very small servings and with special attention to protein intake.
As the numbers on the scale began to slowly dwindle, Capiot enjoyed a more immediate reward for her efforts: a complete remission of the diabetes that had caused her so many problems.
“The first time I went to my endocrinologist after the surgery, my A1C had gone down for the first time in my adult life,” Capiot said. “I cried happy tears when I saw that.”
Less than a year after the surgery, it saved Capiot’s life in a way she hadn’t expected. She discovered a strange lump near her hip and had it checked out. She learned it was a growing cancer in her lymph node.
“I don’t think I would have found that lump as early as I did if I hadn’t lost the weight,” she said. “I was able to see and feel so much more of my body and say, ‘Well, here’s something that’s not usually here.’”
A few weeks later, on the first anniversary of her bariatric surgery, Capiot returned to Dr. Appresai to have that lymph node removed. She spent most of the rest of 2024 in treatment to keep cancer at bay, with multiple rounds of radiation and chemotherapy.
Almost three years after her bariatric surgery, with cancer in her rear-view mirror, Capiot is 95 pounds lighter and feeling better than ever.
“I no longer need medication for blood pressure,” she said. “I don’t take any medication for diabetes anymore. In fact, after years of high blood sugar, now I have to be careful that my blood sugar doesn’t drop too low. I have more energy throughout the day, and I can walk a lot farther without my knees hurting. It’s just a completely different life.”
Although the benefits are clearly more than cosmetic, Capiot said she can’t deny that she’s pleased with her reflection in the mirror.
“I used to hate shopping for clothes,” she said, “but it’s a lot more fun now. The first time I put on a pair of jeans that were not plus-size, I was so happy.”
Capiot said her only regret about her bariatric surgery is that she waited so long to do it. She had worried for years about the expense, the recovery and the lifestyle changes—all of which turned out to be much more manageable than she was expecting.
“If you’re considering this surgery, it’s definitely worth asking your doctor about it and getting answers to those questions,” she said. “If I had known what my life would be like now, I would have had this surgery 10 years earlier.”

(Photo courtesy of Cape Fear Valley Health)