School Consolidation & Cost-Saving Measures

Richmond County Schools is studying this possibility because of declining enrollment and the financial challenges that follow. When student enrollment decreases, the funding school districts receive also declines because many state funding allotments are tied directly to student enrollment.

Over time, the district has made a number of reductions to adjust to these changes. However, those types of cuts are not a long-term solution because the funding connected to those positions or programs also declines. As enrollment and funding change, districts must sometimes consider larger structural options that allow resources to be used more effectively while still maintaining strong academic programs and opportunities for students.

As part of its long-term planning, Richmond County Schools previously conducted a facility study that reviewed the age, condition, and capacity of school buildings and evaluated future facility needs. That work identified consolidation as one option that could be considered if enrollment trends continue.

Districts across North Carolina are facing similar challenges. Since 2020, 103 traditional public schools in North Carolina have closed as districts respond to declining enrollment and facility needs (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Educational Directory and Demographical Information Exchange).

Several factors have contributed to the district’s current budget challenges.

Enrollment has declined in recent years, which reduces the funding available to support schools and programs. At the same time, the cost of operating schools continues to rise. Utilities, transportation, insurance, materials, and employee benefits all cost more than they did just a few years ago.

Schools must still provide transportation, meals, academic programs, support services, and safe facilities for students even as funding changes. That combination has created significant financial pressure.

Many school districts across North Carolina are facing similar challenges as enrollment shifts and operating costs increase.

Several trends have contributed to declining enrollment.

Richmond County’s population has declined by nearly 10% since 2010, and the number of school-age children living in the county has declined by more than 13% (U.S. Census Bureau). At the same time, the number of births in the county has declined by more than 11% since 2010, meaning fewer children are entering school each year (NC State Center for Health Statistics).

Families also have more schooling options today than they did in the past. Some students attend charter schools, private schools, or other educational programs outside of the traditional public school system.

These factors together have contributed to the enrollment changes Richmond County Schools has experienced. Similar enrollment trends are occurring across the state, with 106 of North Carolina’s 115 school districts experiencing a decline in enrollment over the last year.

A school consolidation study is a formal review conducted by a school district when the Board of Education is considering whether the closure or consolidation of a school should be explored.

The study examines measurable factors such as enrollment trends, geographic conditions, travel distance for students, the condition and capacity of facilities, staffing realities, and the costs connected to different options.

The purpose of the study is simply to give the Board a complete picture before any decision is considered. It allows the district to look carefully at how the school operates today, how enrollment and resources are changing, and what those changes may mean moving forward.

A consolidation study does not close a school. Should the Board of Education consider that option, the study would provide the information they need, and a public hearing would be held so the community can share their views before any decision is made.

The consolidation study is currently being organized. A consolidation committee which includes school administration, department leaders, and district leadership  will complete the study by gathering measurable data and will share those findings with the Board of Education later this year.

Once the findings are presented, the Board of Education will determine whether any further action should be considered.

If the Board were to consider a school closure, that process would include additional discussion and opportunities for public input before any official vote. Any possible change would require careful planning and would not affect the upcoming 2026–2027 school year.

Redistricting could increase enrollment at Ellerbe Middle, but it would not increase the district’s overall ADM. The larger issue is that Richmond County Schools is serving fewer students overall than in the past while continuing to operate the same number of school buildings.

Public school funding does not come as one large lump sum that can be used for any purpose. School districts receive funding from several different sources, and each source has rules about how those funds can be used.

For example, the state provides salary allotments for positions such as teachers and instructional support staff. That funding can only be used to pay for those positions and cannot be redirected to cover other operating costs.

Capital outlay funds are designated for facility needs such as building repairs, maintenance, or equipment. These funds cannot be used to pay for staffing or other operational expenses.

School funds are managed at the school level and typically come from sources such as school activity fees, athletic event revenue, fundraisers, donations, and other school-based collections. They are designated for the school where they were raised and cannot be diverted to support other schools or district operations.

If you would like to learn more about public school funding, visit:
https://bit.ly/RCSBudgetBasics

All employees would move into positions at another school in the district. No employees would lose their job. 

Positions would be eliminated through attrition. Attrition is the natural process that occurs when employees retire, resign, or move into other opportunities. As those changes occur, those positions are not refilled.

Some positions would move with the students, but not all of them. When students are consolidated into fewer schools, fewer classes are needed overall. Class sections can be organized more efficiently instead of having smaller groups spread across several buildings.

When students are consolidated into fewer schools, it allows more class sections to be offered in the same building. This gives students access to a wider range of classes while also allowing schedules to be organized more efficiently.

Additionally, we are currently over the state allotment in several areas, including program enhancement and instructional support positions. Consolidation allows us to better align staffing with the state allotment.

It’s important to note, no employees would lose their jobs as a result of consolidation. Positions are eliminated through attrition as employees retire, resign, or move into other opportunities.

Any potential school consolidation, as well as the study itself, is focused on enrollment trends, facility age, and long-term sustainability and is not related to test scores or academic performance. We are incredibly proud of the students, staff, and the work happening in all 14 of our schools.

It is also important to understand that when reviewing test data, we do not define results as “best.” Instead, we focus on measures such as academic growth and proficiency at each grade level.

A comparison of middle school growth scores can be found in the chart below, and academic data for every school can always be viewed publicly on the North Carolina School Report Card.

If a school were to close, the district must follow a legal process established in North Carolina law for the disposition of school property (N.C.G.S. § 115C-518). State law first requires the property to be offered to the county before any other options are considered, and any proceeds from a sale must be used for school system capital needs. The future use of the property would ultimately be determined by the new owner.

If the district were to consolidate into three middle schools, those schools would continue to compete against each other as well as middle schools in surrounding counties. Athletics would continue as they do now, and consistent student enrollment at each school would likely provide strong participation numbers for each sport.

Student reassignment is one of the areas reviewed as part of the consolidation study. As part of that process, we will consult with a third party to review potential redistricting options and attendance zones. Based on location and available capacity, students who currently attend Ellerbe Middle School would most likely attend Rockingham Middle School.

Facility consolidation studies are typically completed internally by school districts because a large portion of the study focuses on operational data that exists within the district. The process compiles information that helps show how different consolidation scenarios could affect students.

The study will be completed by a committee made up of school staff from all schools involved in the consolidation, department directors, and district leadership. Having multiple roles involved ensures the information reflects transportation, academics, and daily school operations rather than the perspective of a single office or individual. Because the study relies on factual data, the information is not based on opinion. The findings will be presented to the Board of Education and shared publicly with the community.

Some examples of items reviewed in the study include looking at current bus routes, the longest routes, and how travel times would be impacted for students. Class size information is compared using current numbers and potential consolidated scenarios. This shows how students could be scheduled into classes and whether class sizes would remain consistent. The district will consult with a third party to explore possible redistricting options.

Richmond County Schools also completed a facility analysis with a third-party organization in 2024. That analysis reviewed the age, condition, and capacity of our schools. That work provides important context as the current study examines enrollment trends and possible consolidation scenarios.

The study is being conducted by a committee made up of school staff from the schools involved in the consolidation, department directors, and district leadership. Because the work is being completed internally, there is no cost associated with the study.

County commissioners do not vote on school closures or consolidations. Under North Carolina General Statute §115C-72, decisions regarding the organization of schools, including the opening, closing, or consolidation of schools, are the responsibility of the local Board of Education.

Middle school class sizes are currently consistent across the district and are primarily determined by teacher allotments based on student enrollment (ADM). Smaller schools do not always have smaller classes. In some cases, smaller schools may actually have larger class sizes because they have fewer teachers available to divide students among sections.

If schools were consolidated, teacher allotments would still be based on the total number of students served. Because of that, class sizes would remain consistent with what students experience today.

Consolidation would allow the district to eliminate some teaching positions through attrition by combining sections where enrollment allows, but staffing would still be driven by the total number of students and the required course offerings. A comparison of middle school student to teacher ratios can be viewed below.

When evaluating possible consolidation scenarios, several factors are considered, including building age, facility capacity, and how many students each school currently serves. The facility study conducted by a third-party in 2024 closely reviewed these details for each of the district’s facilities. 

Ellerbe Middle School is the oldest of the district’s middle schools and has the lowest student capacity. It also serves the fewest students. When consolidating schools, the goal is to use facilities that can serve the largest number of students while still operating efficiently for years to come.  

Based on these factors, Ellerbe Middle School was identified for further review through a consolidation study to determine whether a potential consolidation would be feasible and in the best interest of students.

Creating a K–8 school by combining Mineral Springs Elementary and Ellerbe Middle is not feasible with the current Mineral Springs Elementary School facility.

Mineral Springs Elementary is already close to its capacity. Adding middle school grades would require additional classrooms, which means constructing an addition or building a new facility. A project of that size would cost an estimated $5-8 million.

Some of the challenges include the cafeteria at Mineral Springs already operates on a full schedule to serve the current grade levels, and adding middle school students would require additional space or a significantly longer lunch schedule to accommodate all students. The gym is an elementary gym and is not designed to support middle school athletics and the campus also does not have outdoor athletic facilities. The gym would also need to be shared by both elementary and middle school physical education classes throughout the school day, which would be difficult to schedule within the existing space and time available. The media center would need to house materials appropriate for both elementary and middle school grade levels while also being scheduled for use by all students.

The current gymnasium would not support middle school athletics, and the school does not have outdoor athletic facilities.

Additionally, a K-8 school would still need both middle school and elementary curriculum meaning all teaching positions for both levels would remain. While some program and support positions could potentially be shared, this would create very little reduction in operating costs while adding several million dollars in construction costs.

In North Carolina, the state can step in if a district cannot meet its financial obligations or fails to follow state financial laws. This could include situations where a district cannot make payroll, cannot pay its bills, has serious unresolved audit findings, or does not take action to correct violations of state financial requirements.

If those types of conditions occur and the local Board of Education does not take action to resolve them, the State Board of Education has the authority to require corrective actions or assume control of the district’s financial operations until the issues are addressed.

None of the conditions that would lead to a state takeover currently apply to Richmond County Schools.

Yes. The study will review enrollment projections for any schools being considered for consolidation during a consolidation or closure study.  Enrollment projections use historical enrollment trends, birth rates, and population data to estimate future student populations and help school districts plan for facility needs.

In addition, we would consult with Richmond County Government and Amazon Web Services’ economic development team to review and include any available information about potential population changes related to the project and how that growth could affect future enrollment.

Yes. Questions submitted through the form are answered publicly through this FAQ.

Some questions are answered quickly, while others take more time when information needs to be confirmed across departments to ensure the response is accurate and complete.

Also, some questions may not appear exactly as they were submitted because many submissions ask the same or very similar questions. In those cases, the topic is still addressed in the FAQ, but it appears once with a single question and response rather than being repeated multiple times.

If a consolidation study is conducted, it would review factors such as transportation routes, commute times, and daily schedules to determine if adjustments to school hours would benefit students and families.  

Neither Ellerbe Middle School nor Cordova Middle School has the capacity to accommodate the other school’s students within the existing facility. Combining those two schools would require constructing a new middle school and redrawing school attendance zones.

Building a new middle school is estimated to cost more than $52 million. At this time, the district cannot apply again for the North Carolina Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund grant for another three years, and there is no guarantee a future application would be awarded.

It is also important to note that Rockingham Middle School is currently operating below its capacity. Capacity levels used by the district are based on the 2024 facility study conducted by WSRR Consulting Group and reflect reasonable classroom sizes. Based on those measures, Rockingham Middle School has the space to serve additional students without becoming overcrowded.

The budget deficit reflects the district’s overall funding across all sources, including local, state, and federal.

No, as required by state law all teachers covered in this allotment “must spend a major portion of the school day providing classroom instruction and shall not be assigned to administrative duties in either the central or school offices.” You can review this in the North Carolina Allotment Policy Manual.

Washington Street Elementary and West Rockingham Elementary do not have the available capacity to absorb LJ Bell students. The slide below, which was shown during the March 24^th work session shows elementary school ADM and capacity information. In addition to capacity issues, the NC class size law would make it very difficult to distribute LJ Bell students even if utilizing every elementary school in the district.

In addition, reassigning L.J. Bell students to multiple schools for a short period of time would also result in multiple school transitions. Students would be divided into different school environments and then moved again once the new school is complete.

The current plan avoids that disruption by keeping all L.J. Bell students together in one location. Students will move as a single school community to the former Ninth Grade Academy for two years and then move together into the new school, rather than being split across multiple schools and later brought back together.

This decision was made after the facility study as the study recommended replacing aging facilities. The Board of Education decided to pursue the grant for the purpose of replacing an aging elementary school.

Moseley architects and engineers provided a detailed evaluation of both Fairview Heights and LJ Bell’s facilities and systems to allow the Board to select a school. You can review this process in the minutes of the June 23, 2025 Called Session on our website at Board of Education - Richmond County Schools.

The facility study provided the Board of Education with detailed information on school facilities, including building age, capacity, and overall conditions. It also provided a range of considerations for the Board of Education to review. It was not intended to serve as a checklist or road map, which is evident in the fact that the study presents multiple options for the same facilities.

The board has chosen to repurpose the former Ninth Grade Academy as an elementary school to replace the aging Monroe Avenue Elementary School and applied for the NC Needs-Based Capital Fund grant to replace an aging elementary school.

The study continues to serve as a resource to inform decisions related to school facilities and capacity.

Yes, we began by reducing staff at central office and this was shown during both the March 24^th work session presentation and the April 14^th meeting presentation. You can find both of those presentations linked here on this website. Dr. Ferrell also stated during the April 14^th meeting, “we continue to look at every vacancy that comes up…some we will have to fill, but if we don't have to fill it then we are looking at ways to not fill that and reduce it.”

The facility study provided a range of considerations for the Board of Education to review. It was not intended to serve as a checklist or road map, which can be seen in the fact that the study presents multiple options for the same facilities.

The study did not recommend new construction for any specific school. It identified the need to address aging facilities, and the Board of Education elected to pursue the NC Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund grant to construct a replacement elementary school.

Artificial turf was recommended for that specific location in the study. It requires significant upfront investment and would not have addressed the underlying safety issue related to drainage. There is currently no plan to pursue artificial turf for athletic facilities.

During the March 24, 2026 Board of Education work session, the slide below showed the potential cost savings related to staffing. As the slide states, these totals were calculated using the average salaries plus benefits. The slide also states that the savings would be realized over time through attrition.

Additionally, Dr. Ferrell stated during the same meeting, “And so the next steps would be to conduct a comprehensive school closure study which would include a full financial analysis to determine the true long-term savings of consolidation as all of our numbers are estimates.” Later he added, “I’m asking you for permission to move forward with getting together the school closure study so that you have not just estimates but real numbers and real information that I can bring back to you once that is done for your consideration.”

While we know we would be able to reduce the administrative, custodial, and support positions, as well as some teaching positions, a school consolidation study is needed to tell us exactly how many teaching positions could be reduced.

While we do offer some sessions virtually, professional development cannot be completed while teachers are actively supervising or teaching students, so virtual options do not eliminate the need for classroom coverage.

The district has already taken steps to ensure that most professional development is structured to limit disruption to instruction with the bulk of sessions taking place on teacher workdays and on the designated professional development day in February.

When teachers do participate in professional development during the school day, coverage is typically provided in-house by teacher assistants, program teachers, or student support staff, rather than through the use of paid substitute teachers.

The state of North Carolina mandates all K–5 teachers receive LETRS training which is a full day session and requires a substitute. The majority of our districts K-5 teachers completed this training in 2024, but we continue to provide training for new K–5 teachers as required.