HAMLET — While the Richmond County Board of Education voted last month to rescind a proposed closure study for Ellerbe Middle School, residents packed the board’s May meeting to voice continued support for the school and opposition to any future consolidation efforts.
Speakers included Brett Webb, Jennifer Beck, Debra Quick, Willa Spivey, Bill Webb, Elizabeth “Beth” McFayden Bryant, Marcia Lambeth and Sierra McQueen.
Editor’s note: Remarks from Brett Webb and Jennifer Beck differ slightly from what was presented at the meeting. The Daily Journal received copies of their remarks as approximately 11 minutes of the public forum were inaudible during the meeting recording.
Brett Webb, who also spoke during last month’s meeting, thanked the board for rescinding the closure study while urging members to focus on long-term planning before considering restructuring efforts.
“I appreciate the board taking that step because it recognized the concerns many in this community had about the direction and process surrounding these discussions,” Webb said.
Webb acknowledged the district’s financial and enrollment challenges, but cautioned against moving forward without a clearly defined strategy.
“Since April, we’ve also seen a growing number of proposals, concepts, cost-saving measures, and restructuring ideas being discussed. And ideas alone are not a plan,” Webb said. “Ideas and proposals only matter when they are connected to a clear strategy, achievable goals, financial realities, and a real roadmap.”
He said the district first needs to establish measurable goals before considering major changes.
“What does success look like? And how will proposed solutions be measured against those goals?” Webb said. “Because without those answers, there’s no way to know whether any proposal actually moves the district forward.”
Webb also reminded board members of their role as advocates for students and families.
“The role of a board is not simply to vote once options are placed in front of them,” Webb said. “This board was elected to advocate for every child and family in this district.”
He urged leaders to explore every possible funding opportunity and partnership before making decisions that could permanently affect rural communities.
“As a parent of a child going to EMS next year, I want to close by reminding everyone that for families like mine, these discussions are not abstract or theoretical,” Webb said. “They are real, and the impact on our children, our daily lives, and our future in this community carries a real sense of urgency.”
Jennifer Beck, a retired educator from Ellerbe, echoed those concerns and said residents want transparency and reassurance that the closure discussion has truly ended.
“Right now, a school closure study for Ellerbe Middle School should not even be up for discussion. And closing EMS should not be part of any conversation this board has,” Beck said.
Beck said comments made following the board’s vote left some residents worried the issue could resurface.
“If we said we’re stepping back, then we need to actually step back,” Beck said. “This isn’t just about one school. Our schools support our community, local businesses, and property values.”
She argued that the district should avoid expanding lengthy bus rides for younger students.
“Instead of saying, ‘we’re already busing students in grades 9–12, so we’ll start with 6th grade,’ let’s say the opposite — because we’re already busing 9–12, we are NOT going to start busing earlier grades,” Beck said.
“There is no looming state takeover creating a sense of urgency that justifies rushing this conversation,” she added.
Several speakers also presented an alternative vision for Ellerbe Middle School through a proposed Solar Agri-STEM magnet program aimed at increasing enrollment and reducing operational costs.
Debra Quick introduced the proposal, describing it as both a pilot program for Ellerbe and part of a broader districtwide strategy.
“The Ellerbe Magnet Plan is a student opportunity plan, one that prepares our children for jobs of the future, strengthens enrollments, pulls families back into public education and stabilizes the entire district,” Quick said.
Willa Spivey outlined projected financial benefits tied to districtwide solar and energy modernization efforts.
“Annual savings across all 15 schools are projected at $159,000 to $274,000 per year with cumulative savings over 20 years reaching between $3 million and $5.5 million,” Spivey said.
She said the proposal could also help stabilize enrollment at Ellerbe Middle.
“The project grow middle school from 191 students to between 250 to 300 students within three years with the strongest gains in years one and two,” Spivey said. “These projections match rural magnet trends statewide, where enrollment typically rises 20 to 40 percent.”
Spivey said the program could create workforce development opportunities for students interested in renewable energy and agriculture-related careers.
“Students who begin exploring solar technology at Ellerbe Middle School can later earn industry-recognized certifications through Richmond Senior or Richmond Community College,” Spivey said.
Bill Webb said the magnet concept would expose students to technical fields at an early age while creating stronger partnerships between the district and local industries.
“The Solar Agri-STEM Magnet gives students a clear pathway from Ellerbe Middle to Richmond Senior or RCC with opportunities to explore high-demand technical fields,” Webb said.
He emphasized that the program would focus on career exploration rather than locking students into career choices.
“Students are not being asked to choose a profession at age 11 or 12,” Webb said. “They’re being given opportunities to explore emerging fields … and build confidence in solving complex problems.”
Speakers throughout the evening described Ellerbe Middle School as more than a school building, calling it a vital part of the northern Richmond County community.
Retired educator Beth Bryant described the school as a cornerstone of the Ellerbe community and urged board members to consider the broader impact a closure could have on rural residents.
“Ellerbe Middle is not simply an educational facility. It is a cornerstone of the Ellerbe community,” Bryant said.
Bryant, who spent more than 30 years working in Richmond County Schools, said rural schools should not be judged solely on enrollment numbers and operational costs.
“Communities like Ellerbe deserve investment, not reduction,” Bryant said. “Students in Ellerbe deserve equitable access to education close to home.”
She later referenced a paraphrased quote attributed to Chief Seattle while describing the potential ripple effects of closing the school.
“What you, Richmond County Board of Education, does to the school in Ellerbe will vibrate — it will resonate through the entirety of Richmond County,” Bryant said. “You cannot weaken the rural community without eventually weakening the county as a whole.”
Marcia Lambeth, a retired educator from Derby, also urged board members to preserve K-8 education in Ellerbe.
“Our Ellerbe students and schools have always done more with less — and we will continue to do so,” Lambeth said. “But it feels like we’re being punished for a crime that we did not commit.”
Lambeth said she was reminded of advice once shared by Gerald Tillman, a custodian at Ellerbe Junior High School.
“Listen to what people say, but listen more carefully to what they do not say,” Lambeth recalled him saying.
Lambeth said she was troubled by conversations surrounding the potential closure of EMS during the March work session.
“I heard callous and dismissive remarks, but what I did not hear was discussion about what is truly in the best interest of the child,” Lambeth said.
She also reflected on the long bus rides northern Richmond County students already face while traveling to Richmond Senior High School.
“Our high school students have traveled long distances since the opening of Richmond Senior High School and the negative effects have been well documented,” Lambeth said. “Disciplinary issues, academic struggles, and even tragic loss of life.”
Lambeth recalled past tragedies involving students commuting to school.
“Two students lost their lives while traveling to Richmond Senior High, and a young lady was killed while waiting in the dark by the side of the road for her bus,” Lambeth said. “They were simply trying to get to school from our end of the county.”
“The decisions you make about closing our school will affect generations to come,” she added. “I respectfully urge you to lead with fairness, compassion, and courage.” Put yourself in our shoes. Carefully analyze all data, not just financial and enrollment,” Lambeth said.
“Remember the golden rule. Do unto others as you will have them do unto you. Keep our K-8 schools in Ellerbe—That’s all we’re asking. Keep our schools there so we do not punish six through eight,” concluded Lambeth.
Sierra McQueen, a Derby resident, also raised concerns about transportation times if Ellerbe Middle students were reassigned elsewhere.
McQueen said a bus driver recently showed her a route covering Mangum, Exway, Norman and Ellerbe that already creates “a two-hour trip one way for the first ones on and the last ones off.”
“How does it make any sense to consolidate our school on the northern end of the county to another school that is an additional 18 minutes away by car with no additional stops?” McQueen asked.