Bladen County Schools board sets closure date for East Arcadia School

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The Bladen County School Board has approved a timeline to close East Arcadia School.

During a Tuesday meeting, board members voted 6-3 to close the school by June 30, 2026.

The decision came after discussion about whether to delay the closure to the end of the 2026-2027 school year. One board member made a motion to extend the timeline, saying the additional year would allow more time to prepare students, staff, and facilities for the transition to Clarkton School of Discovery.

Board members discussed concerns about workload for maintenance staff, readiness at Clarkton, and making sure the transition would be “a seamless process and not necessarily a rush process.”

That motion failed in a split vote.

The board then voted to move forward with a 2026 closure date.