Kings Creek School Exploration

Status: No decision has been made. 
Last updated: October 13, 2026
Information Updated Periodically

PUBLIC HEARING: A Public Hearing will be held on November 02, 2026, at 5:30 PM, at the Education Center located at 1914 Hickory Blvd SW, Lenoir, NC  28645

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Use the button below to submit Public Comment to the Board of Education. Public Comments will be made publicly available on the Board of Education webpage and will be read during the Public Hearing on November 2. 

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On October 6, 2026, the Caldwell County Board of Education reviewed a study of the Kings Creek School building. The Board then directed district leadership to begin the state-mandated process for exploring school closure.

The Board has not voted. State law requires a public hearing first, and the Board will hear from the community before it decides.  

This page has the facts as we know them, an overview of the study, and answers to the questions we're hearing. We'll add more information as it becomes available. 

Use the button below to submit confidential questions to district leadership. 

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What’s Being Considered

The Board of Education is considering closing Kings Creek School at the end of the 2026–2027 school year.

Starting in 2027–2028, students would be assigned to other schools. Students in kindergarten through fifth grade would likely be assigned to Lower Creek Elementary or Happy Valley School. Students in sixth through eighth grade would be assigned to William Lenoir Middle School or Happy Valley School. Families could also request a different school under the district's transfer policy. 

Where Things Stand

The Board of Education has reviewed the initial study. Next, the Board will hold a public hearing to discuss details and hear public feedback. The Board may hold multiple hearings or additional information sessions for families of enrolled students. After these meetings, the Board will vote on next steps. If the Board votes to close, the change will not take effect until the 2027-2028 school year. 

Numbers to Keep in Mind

120: As of September 21, 2026, 120 students attend Kings Creek from kindergarten through eighth grade – 77 students in grades K-5 and 43 in grades 6-8.

30%: In the 2021-2022 school year, 172 students were enrolled. Enrollment was 194 in the 2015-2016 school year. Kings Creek enrollment has fallen over time, with a 30% decrease in the last five years. The district as a whole has dropped 8%. 

7: Only seven kindergarten students are enrolled in Kings Creek School for the 2026-2027 school year, a 40% decrease from the 2025-2026 school year. Five years ago, the school had 20 kindergarten students.

358: Kings Creek School’s building is designed to educate 358 students, according to an independent analysis from McKissick Associates completed in September 2026. 

$786: Based on current enrollment, it will cost $786 per student per year just to heat, cool, and power the building. The district average is $291. 

$2.4 million: An independent study by Baisca estimated $2.4 million in repairs and replacement costs would be needed at Kings Creek over the next 10 years. 
 

Why There Are Fewer Students

Caldwell County has about as many people as it did ten years ago. What has changed is how many of them are children.

About 3,890 children under age 5 live in the county today. Ten years ago, there were about 4,500. Fewer babies are being born here. More people die in the county each year than are born, showing there is a trend of more adults than children. (U.S. Census Data, 2025)

Over the same years, the number of residents 65 and older has grown from about 16.5% of the county’s population to 21.7%. People are still moving here, but most of them are retirees and adults without school-age children. Seniors outnumber children in Caldwell County. (U.S. Census Data, 2025)

You can see it in our own classrooms. This year's eighth grade has 797 students across the district. This year's kindergarten has 620. Every grade-level cohort has gotten a little smaller over time.

Kings Creek shows the same pattern. Its eighth grade has 16 students and its kindergarten has 7.

This trend is evident in rural counties across North Carolina, and it is not a judgment on any school. Fewer children live in rural communities. Kings Creek has been impacted by that change more than others.

How School Funding Works

Most school funding comes from the state, which pays per student. Each year, it counts a district's students and funds teachers and other positions based on that count. When enrollment drops, the funding drops with it.

That money also comes with rules. State and federal dollars arrive in categories, and each category can only be spent on certain things. The district can't take money meant for one purpose and use it to keep a school open.

A school building doesn't shrink when enrollment does. Kings Creek still needs a principal, an office, a cafeteria, a custodian, heat, lights, and a teacher in every grade, whether a class has 7 students or 20. The state pays based on the number of students.

Local funding has to cover the difference. Local dollars from the county are the district's only flexible money, so it must be used strategically. Caldwell County Schools will receive roughly between $1,500 and $1,800 per student in local funding this school year. Caldwell County’s local funding ranks the lowest among our neighboring counties and districts. Every local dollar that fills the gap at one school is a dollar that can't be spent on students anywhere else in the district.
 

Why a Small School Can Cost More Per Student

The building may be in fair condition, but it's only part of what it costs to run a school.

Many of a school's costs stay the same no matter how many students attend. Every school needs a principal, a front office, a custodian, cafeteria staff, and a media center. It has to be heated, cooled, lit, cleaned, insured, and repaired. Those costs are about the same whether a school serves 120 or 300 students. With fewer students, each one carries a larger share, creating disproportionate spending. 

In building costs alone: heating, cooling, power, and upkeep at Kings Creek cost $786 per student each year. At Lower Creek, the same costs are $191 per student. At William Lenoir, they are $247. The district average is $291. And building costs are only part of a school’s expenses. 

None of this means a Kings Creek education is worth less, or that its teachers aren't doing good work. It means the same dollars stretch further when a school is closer to the size it was built for. When dollars stretch further, more dollars are available to pay for teachers, programs, and student support.

A Hundred Years of Kings Creek

Kings Creek School opened in 1926. It was built because five small community schools decided children would be better served together in a larger school. A 1924 plan brought Kings Creek Academy, Beach Hill, Carlton, Mt. Bethel, and Green Mountain into one school, with ten classrooms, an auditorium, and a library. Some of the children in those first classes came from the Carlton School, and their great-grandchildren attended Kings Creek School.

As the community grew, so did the school. The school added high school grades, and classes spilled into the basement, the auditorium, and a nearby Baptist church. A high school building opened in 1948, followed by a cafeteria in 1952 and the gymnasium in 1957. In 1966, high school students moved to the new Hibriten High School because it offered greater opportunities. The original 1926 building came down in 1994, and new classrooms opened in 1995.

We know that Kings Creek, like many of our schools, has a long heritage and stories about multiple generations of students. Some families have sent four and five generations through its doors.

At one time, Kings Creek School was the heartbeat of the Kings Creek and Boomer communities. Optimist sports thrived, and band concerts filled the gym with spectators. But as the community has changed, the school has changed too. Fewer people remain, but the love and compassion are still strong.  

No number on this page changes that, and we don't expect it to. The Board is weighing questions about what today's students need and what the district can sustain. The questions are not a judgment on what Kings Creek has meant or what its teachers and families have built.

Whatever the Board decides, Kings Creek's history will not be forgotten. 

Has the Board decided to close Kings Creek?
No. The Board has not voted. State law requires a public hearing before a board can close a school.

Who is proposing this?
The Board of Education asked district leadership to explore closing Kings Creek. On October 6, the Board reviewed a study of the building and directed leadership to begin the process state law requires.

What does the law require?
North Carolina law (N.C.G.S. § 115C-72) requires a board of education to study a school before closing it and to hold a public hearing where people can share their views. The Board decides only after both.

Who did the study?
McKissick Associates, an architecture firm. They visited Kings Creek on August 31, 2026, and also reviewed the building in 2018 and 2019.

What did the study find?
The building is in fair condition. It is structurally sound and has been well maintained. It was designed for 358 students and has 120, which is about three times the space per student that state guidelines call for. The 1948 wing used for grades 6–8 has classrooms smaller than those at other district schools, and parts of the campus are hard to reach for people with disabilities. A more detailed overview of the study appears below.

Why this school?
Kings Creek has lost 30% of its students in five years. It uses about a third of its building, and it costs more per student to operate than any other traditional school in the district.

Why is enrollment falling?
Caldwell County has fewer children than it used to. District enrollment peaked at 13,116 in 2007–08 and is 9,755 today. That is about 3,400 fewer students, more than attend all five of our high schools combined. Kings Creek has felt it more than most. The school held steady at about 220 students for years, then lost half of them after 2013–14.

Did Kings Creek lose its students to transfers?
No. Transfers have made a minimal impact on Kings Creek’s enrollment over the past few years. Transfers alone won’t explain why enrollment has dropped. 

Aren't small classes better for kids?
Small classes can mean more attention, and Kings Creek teachers give it. But a very small school also has limits. Combination classes are more common, creating harder work for teachers and sometimes less attention for students. Many specials teachers and support staff are only at the school part-time, limiting the impact specialized roles can make when a student has specific needs or individualized strategies.  

Are other schools next?
The Board has not requested review of any other schools at this time. The other K-8 schools have not seen significant enrollment decreases. Kings Creek is being looked at because of its size. It has 120 students, and no other traditional school in the district is close to that small. The district has been here twice before. Oak Hill had 115 students in its last year, 2019–20, and West Lenoir had 133 in its last year, 2021–22. Enrollment is falling across the county, and the Board will continue to monitor it at every school. Any future closure would have to go through the same process, with a study and a public hearing before a vote.

Where would my child go?
Students in grades K–5 will likely be assigned to Lower Creek Elementary. Students in grades 6–8 would be assigned to William Lenoir Middle School.

Do we have a choice?
Yes. Families can request another school under the district's transfer policy.

How long would the bus ride be?
It depends on where they live. Some students will get home sooner in the afternoon because they are less likely to wait for a second or late bus load. Students who play sports would ride less. Today they bus from Kings Creek to William Lenoir for each practice, and on game days they make that trip before boarding the team bus. At William Lenoir, practices and home games are right at school.

What about sports?
Kings Creek doesn't have enough students to field teams. Students who play already join the teams at William Lenoir, which means a bus ride there every afternoon. At William Lenoir, practice and the team bus are right at school.

What about students who receive Exceptional Children's services?
A student's IEP goes with them. Every service in an IEP is required at any school in the district, and Lower Creek and William Lenoir provide the same EC services as Kings Creek. In some cases, these schools may offer more support for students’ specific needs because they have more resources. 

Will my child be known at a bigger school?
If the Board of Education chooses to close the school, District leadership would work directly with Kings Creek families to help them choose a new school for their student and help the student become familiar with the new school, staff, and other families. 

Are those schools full?
No. Lower Creek has 339 students and room for 428. William Lenoir has 540 and room for 600. If every Kings Creek student moved, Lower Creek would have 416 and William Lenoir 583. Both schools have held that many before: Lower Creek had 429 students in 2016–17, and William Lenoir had 599 in 2020–21.

Didn't they already take Oak Hill students?
Oak Hill's last year was 2019–20. That year, Lower Creek had 383 students, and William Lenoir had 571. 

How big are the classes at Lower Creek?
Classes range from about 14 to 22 students, depending on the grade.  Counting teachers and teaching assistants together, both schools have about one adult for every 9 students. As a reminder, the state sets class-size limits. We cannot pack a class full of students.

How big are the classes at William Lenoir?
They are slightly larger on average than the classes at Kings Creek. But due to the larger size, William Lenoir also has things a small school can't offer, including a student success specialist who tracks how each student is doing and arranges extra help, dedicated, full-time teachers for career & technical education, Spanish, art, and a chorus teacher, and a band director. Its classrooms are also larger and more spread out than those in Kings Creek's 1948 wing.

Why has Lower Creek been closed to transfers if it is not full?
The district held space there for growth it expected nearby, and that growth did not happen. 

What happens to Kings Creek employees?
The goal is to place every Kings Creek employee at another school. Lower Creek and William Lenoir will likely need more teachers. 

Were staff told before families?
Yes. The Superintendent and district leaders met with Kings Creek staff for about two hours before notifying families. 

Is this about the budget?
Partly. The state funds schools by the student. Kings Creek's enrollment no longer brings in enough to cover what it takes to run the school, so local dollars make up the rest. The district has limited local funds. The question before the Board is whether that money does more for students by keeping a mostly empty school open or by going toward teachers and programs.

Has anyone outside the district reviewed how money is spent?
Multiple state agencies and an independent accounting firm audit the district’s finances multiple times per year. Strategic funding choices happened at the district level first last year. Human capital was readjusted, and many district-level positions were consolidated. 

What would happen to the building?
Nothing has been decided. 

About the study
The Board hired McKissick Associates, an architecture firm that specializes in school buildings, to assess the Kings Creek campus. The firm visited on August 31, 2026, and had also reviewed the building in 2018 and 2019 as part of a district-wide capacity study. Its report is dated September 24, 2026. The study looks at the building itself: its condition, how its space is used, what repairs it needs, and how well it fits today's school programs. It does not recommend whether the school should stay open or close.

The campus
Kings Creek sits on about 6.8 acres on NC Highway 18, about six miles northeast of Lenoir. The school is made up of four connected and separate buildings, totaling 52,891 square feet:

• The 1948 main building (11,582 square feet), originally the high school, now used mostly for grades 5–8.
• The 1995 classroom building (17,312 square feet), with elementary classrooms, the front office, and the media center.
• The 1957 gymnasium building (20,484 square feet), with the gym upstairs and music, band, art, and former pre-K rooms below.
• The 1952 cafeteria and kitchen (3,513 square feet).

Overall condition: Fair
The firm scored the building in 13 areas and gave it an overall rating of Fair.

• Good: the structure and exterior, interior finishes, site, electrical, fire protection, technology, and building code compliance.
• Fair: heating and air conditioning, plumbing, energy efficiency, and food service.
• Poor: accessibility for people with disabilities.

The study says the buildings are structurally sound and have been well maintained by the school system, and that with continued upkeep they can serve "into the foreseeable future." Past investments include new roofs in 2016 and a $236,000 heating and air upgrade in the gym in 2021.

What needs work

• Many heating and cooling systems have outlived their expected lifespan. More than 20 window air units are about 31 years old, against an expected life of 18. The steam boilers in the 1948 building and gym are about 25 years old, near the end of their service life, and have been shutting off.
• Parts of the electrical system are 36 to 50 years old, and classrooms have too few outlets.
• Part of the roof over the office and media center will need replacement within five years.
• The campus is only partly accessible. The front entrance is not accessible; there is no elevator between the two levels of the gym building, and the gym bleachers don't meet accessibility standards.
• Students walk outside, under a covered walkway, to move between buildings. The campus has many outside doors that are hard to supervise, limited camera coverage, and no fence along the highway.

Estimated cost of needed work: $2.4 million
A separate facility assessment by Baisca, completed in June 2026, estimated $2,436,298 in work over the next ten years:

• About $200,000 needed in the next two years
• About $2.0 million in years three through five
• About $213,000 in years six through ten

The largest items are replacing the boilers ($500,000), the gym bleachers ($225,000), roofs ($300,000), heating controls ($200,000), paving ($216,000), and air handlers ($150,000). That estimate covers keeping the building safe, warm, and dry. It does not include any remodeling to update classrooms.

How the space is used
The building was designed for 358 students. It has 121.* That works out to 437 square feet per student, about three times what state guidelines call for. The study describes this as "a very inefficient use of space," meaning the school heats, cools, cleans, and maintains far more building than it needs. Several rooms sit empty, including the former pre-K rooms, which closed in 2024.

*At the time of the study (September 24, 2026), the school had 121 students enrolled. When the Board reviewed the study, the school had 120.

How well the building fits today's programs
The 1995 classrooms are well sized and in line with newer district schools. The 1948 wing, where middle school classes meet, has classrooms smaller than those at other district schools. In the study's words, it is "not configured or equipped to contemporary educational standards." The campus does have music and art rooms, and a full gym, like our other schools. But the study notes that many of those rooms are not well suited in size or equipment to how they're used.

What the study does not cover
The study is about the building. It does not look at bus routes, class sizes, staffing, programs, or what a change would mean for families. Those questions are answered elsewhere on this page or will be covered in the community sessions and the public hearing.