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Gaston County, NC (WNN) - At the Gaston County Schools Board of Education Operations Committee Meeting held on Monday, May 4, 2026, the board concluded to move forward with the current feasibility study regarding the closure of W.B. Beam Intermediate.
BEFORE YOU READ: If you are not familiar with the ongoing story regarding W.B. Beam Intermediate, please reference our previous articles below:
During the meeting, Gaston County Schools superintendent Dr. Morgen Houchard presented the current findings of the feasibility study. He states that the feasibility study is driven by the general statute 115C-72 as well as previous school closings at Rhyne Elementary and Forest Heights Elementary Schools.
Gaston County Schools Board of Education Operations Committee Meeting | May 4, 2026
Mason Beam (WNN)
Houchard's presentation consisted of a study of all Cherryville Schools. The study includes Cherryville Elementary, John Chavis Middle, W.B. Beam Intermediate, and Cherryville High School. When discussing capacity and population rates, Gaston County is required to evaluate the next 10 years, but they only use hard data for the next 5 years.
Studies showed:
Houchard said during his presentation that, "the capacity at the Cherryville Elementary and John Chavis Middle School remains relatively flat for the next 4 years." These numbers are based on the growth percentages from both the 5-year and 10-year plans.
When considering a K-4 and K-5 consolidation, they realized it would require fewer transitions, strengthen relationships between students and educators, support a stronger focus on early literacy, and yield various other benefits. When dealing with a wider age range, such as grades 5-8, Houchard emphasized that intentionally planning is required before making this decision. This concerns grade-level structures, transition supports, and leadership structures.
Gaston County Schools Board of Education Operations Committee Meeting | May 4, 2026
Mason Beam (WNN)
If the Gaston County School Board of Education chooses to close W.B. Beam Intermediate, they will save a total of $288,342. That's saving $195,750 in personal, $10,000 in education supplies, and $82,592 in utilities.
Option A - Move 4th grade to Cherryville Elementary School, bringing enrollment to 418 students (83.6% of its 500 student capacity). Move the 5th grade to John Chavis Middle School, resulting in 462 students (74.6% of its 619 student capacity).
Option B - Same case as option A, but this option allows the current rising 5th grader the option to attend Tryon Elementary School for the 2026-2027 school year before transitioning to John Chavis Middle School for 6th grade.
Option C - Move both 4th and 5th grades to the Cherryville Elementary School and relocate pre-kindergarten to Tryon Elementary School. This would result in a projected 501 students at Cherryville Elementary, which exceeds its 500 student capacity (by 100.2%). This results in 20 pre-k students being reassigned to Tryon Elementary, provided that space accommodations are available.
Option D - An additional option that was discussed during the open discussion was not to close W.B. Beam Intermediate altogether.
After the Feasibility Study Presentation, members of the education operations committee discussed the logistics of consolidating the proposed school.
Lee Dedmond pitched in, saying the study's numbers make sense for consolidation, but questioned the total amount saved when considering the Gaston County School budget.
Houchard mentioned that it is most important to hear what the parents think about various options A through C. Providing they move forward, the board plans to host an open house at Cherryville Elementary for concerned parents. If they move forward, this open house would likely be held at the end of May.
Based on the information from the W.B. Beam Intermediate School Closure/Consolidation Feasibility Study, the committee has decided to move forward with the process. This does not mean the school is officially closing; rather, the board has unanimously agreed to advance the feasibility study and continue gathering additional information.
Representatives from the newfound Cherryville Education Alliance, Jeanne Alexander and Heather Holt, attended the Operations Committee Meeting. After the meeting, Heather Holt said the only new information provided by the board was the breakdown of cost savings.
"We're spending a lot of time and resources to save roughly $238,000 in a $17 million deficit."
- Heather Holt, Representative of the Cherryville Education Alliance
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