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Cumberland County Public Schools is trying something different. That was how Superintendent Chip Jones explained the district’s plans to a packed house at the Cumberland town hall meeting earlier this week. 

Jones gave the crowd a ‘State of the Schools’ breakdown, outlining what’s changed and how that’s helped the district in multiple ways. The biggest change comes in how classes are scheduled. Previously, Cumberland had used a 7-block schedule. Now they’ve switched to what’s known as a 4×4 plan. After a semester of classes, which they take for 90 minutes each a day, then students switch for the second semester. 

“It provides more options for students,” Jones said. “It allows them to focus more on the subject that they’re in and ask questions.” 

As a result of the switch, Cumberland has been able to add multiple new classes, such as cosmetology and criminal justice. 

“That class has been very popular,” Jones said of cosmotology. “It gives students the option to explore something they like and learn something that maybe they can use to get an internship.” 

Criminal Justice will be added to the menu in the spring, giving high school students an idea of what it’s like, working in different jobs, like law enforcement. 

Cybersecurity is another class that’s been added this year, providing two things. First, students who take the class learn about being safe and how to avoid hacks and scams. Second, it introduces them to the technology and offers a chance to discover if that’s a career they want to pursue. 

Better than the past in Cumberland

One thing Jones answered was about a teacher shortage. Yes, he said, the teacher shortage across the region is very real. 

“We compete with a lot of school divisions (for talent),” Jones said. “We’re better this year than we have been in the past.” 

As of now, there are just six positions Cumberland is looking to fill. That includes one JROTC instructor, one counseling position at Cumberland High, one special education position, one Spanish teacher opening, a school psychologist and a speech language pathologist. 

Having that nearly filled staff has helped, Jones said, when it comes to working with students in the classroom. Basically, the message is that hard work pays off. Two years ago, only 58% of Cumberland Elementary students passed their reading exam. Now that’s up to 71%. In math, the school saw a two-year bump from a 67% to 80% pass rate. At Cumberland High, two years ago only 36% of students passed math. Now that’s up to 54%. Science pass rates have jumped over the last two years from 60% to 75%. And even in history, where the jump is a bit smaller, the school saw continued improvement, going from 49% to 55%. 

One of the biggest victories Jones points to isn’t in the data itself but comes in the school district’s chronic absenteeism rate. Go back to the 2021-22 school year and 34% of students were chronically absent. Now that rate’s down to 16%. Basically, students are coming back to the classroom and bit by bit, schools in the district are starting to see that translate into better test scores.

At the same time, Jones acknowledges that the job’s not done, both at the schools showing improvement and the one still struggling. Only 44% of students at Cumberland Middle passed their science exam, for example, while in math, the numbers went backwards, from 61% passing two years ago to 58% now.

“We have more work to do and we know that and we will continue to do so,” Jones said.