W.B. Beam Intermediate to Remain Open But Issues Persist

Why, all of a sudden and announced in March 2026, was W.B. Beam singled out of all the feeder schools in GCS operating under similar monetary conditions?”

Robbie Lovelace, Cherryville Township Representative

Cherryville, NC (WNN) - As per a release via the Gaston County School Facebook page, W.B. Beam Intermediate is planned to remain open during the 2026-2027 school year. During recent meetings between the Gaston County School Board and Gaston County Commissioners, a plan for allotment was presented. In this, the commissioners plan to fund $275,000 specifically to keep Beam open, as it was not funded in the current school budget as is. You can read the full breakdown of this records release here. 

This Year's Preparation for Beam

With Lynn Whiteside’s retirement, the school was lacking a principal. Carlene Falter, the assistant principal at Costner Elementary, is being brought in to serve as principal. However, some teachers had already found placement elsewhere, so the school is currently working to ensure a proper start to the school year beginning August 12, 2026. 

Gaston County Board of Education Meeting

W.B. Beam Intermediate School - Cherryville, NC - July 13, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

The school board meeting scheduled for Monday, July 20, 2026, has been canceled. The next meeting will be the regular August meeting on August 17, 2026. In this regard, the Gaston County Board of Commissioners will hold a special meeting on July 14, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The only agenda item is the consideration of additional one-time funding for Gaston County Schools. While the item notes that funding is yet to be determined, it will likely align with the items discussed in the records request mentioned above. If the full $8.98 million discussed is on the table and approved, the funds would be distributed as follows:

• $1.79 million to address inflation
• $1.42 million as a state increase in employee compensation
• $1.57 million as a state increase in employer-paid benefits
• $2.35 million for Chromebooks
• $3.3 million for Exceptional Children Programs
• $1 million of the requested $3.6 million for employee salary supplements
• $275,000 to address the budget gap for W.B. Beam Intermediate

Stay tuned to hear about the decision made by the Gaston County Commissioners on July 14, 2026.

Cherryville Representative Robbie Lovelace’s Thoughts

Cherryville Representative Robbie Lovelace - Gaston County Board of Education Meeting - June 15, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

WNN reached out to Robbie Lovelace, the school board representative for Cherryville, for her thoughts on the situation in an exclusive interview. While she is extremely pleased that Beam will not be closing, there are still questions surrounding the decision to consider consolidation for Beam. Here is the list of concerns she had:

1. Why, all of a sudden and announced in March 2026, was W.B. Beam singled out of all the feeder schools in GCS operating under similar monetary conditions? Was this school chosen because it is in the Cherryville Township that I represent, after I personally questioned GCS’s leadership salaries in June 2025 and asked Dr. Houchard and then CFO Gary Hoskins if our County Commissioners knew what was being paid?

2. Many consent items on the agenda are voted on in both the Operations and Curriculum Committees and then are placed on the Board of Education’s Agenda for the next Board meeting.  The Curriculum Committee was never given the option to vote monthly on whether or not the feasibility study would continue for another month.  It needs to be noted that I am on the Curriculum Committee. 

3. It is obvious that the GCS Board of Education is divided on many issues, and everyone does have a right to his/her opinion.  Ideally, all members would respect each other enough to communicate with each other about all topics of discussion in lieu of allowing some members, 3 of us, to find out within 2 hours of a scheduled meeting, during a meeting, or the next day when citizens in our township call and deliver the news when too hurt or sick to attend a meeting.

4. Why did it take until July 13, 2026, for the leadership in GCS to publish the information about Beam Intermediate staying open for another school year?  The financial-savings information for closing Beam was rightfully disputed by the Cherryville Education Alliance after they gathered relevant information and presented it to the BOE and GCS leaders more than 3 months ago. In addition, I personally forwarded additional information on June 23, 2026, about the electrical and water bills for Nixon Gym being charged to Beam - only 1 BOE member acknowledged receiving this information.

5. Why were the Operations and Committee meetings moved to the Rader Center in Cramerton this spring, but previously met at the Central Office?  Was this intentional so the citizens of Cherryville would be more inconvenienced due to the distance?  This reason also entered my mind when the public forum was scheduled at Gaston College, but I did find out that Gaston College was named the meeting site for public forums when other schools in the past were going through consolidation consideration, so I will give this one to GCS for being consistent.

6. In 2020, I ran my campaign on being a voice for our students and teachers, not just in Cherryville Township but across GCS, and have spent the last 6 years trying diligently to accomplish this.  For the life of me, I cannot fathom why making the decision about Beam seemed to totally disregard our educational professionals at Beam and Cherryville Elementary. Many of these teachers have placed their classroom items in boxes, anxiously awaiting a decision - a decision that could and should have been made by May.  Why has Beam been used as a bargaining chip?  It does not take a rocket scientist to analyze the small amount of financial savings (not the full amount of $288K as projected by GCS) and compare this to the total loss of millions discovered this past school year without any accountability at all!

7. After all has been said and done, has spending transparency concerning leadership salaries in GCS been shared with ALL our County Commissions?  These Commissioners have been accused of underfunding when it comes to education, but they have been giving funds to GCS in good faith that the money is being spent for the betterment of our students.  It is time for 100% transparency.  This can come from the Central Office, but if not, I will share.

- Robbie Lovelace, Gaston County School Board Member

Statement From the Cherryville Education Alliance

W.B. Beam Intermediate School - Cherryville, NC - July 13, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

We also spoke with the Cherryville Education Alliance about their opinions regarding the news about Beam. They had this to say:

July 13, 2026

The Cherryville Education Alliance is grateful for the Gaston County Board of Education's decision to keep W. Blaine Beam Intermediate School open for the 2026-2027 school year. This announcement provides much-needed stability for the students, families, teachers, and staff who call Beam home and allows our community to begin the new school year with confidence and certainty.

We appreciate the Board's willingness to listen to the concerns raised by parents, educators, community members, and local leaders throughout this process. The decision to pause consolidation demonstrates the value of meaningful community engagement and thoughtful consideration of the educational, operational, and community impacts that such a significant change would have created.

We also welcome the Board's commitment to reviewing countywide cost-saving opportunities and consolidation-related measures before making future decisions. As these discussions move forward, we encourage the Board to continue evaluating all options through a balanced lens that considers not only financial efficiencies, but also educational outcomes, student well-being, transportation impacts, community identity, and long-term growth across the county.

We support efforts to be responsible stewards of taxpayer resources while ensuring that students have access to safe, effective, and community-centered schools. We believe that successful solutions can be achieved through transparency, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making.

We would also like to congratulate Mrs. Carlene Falter on her appointment as principal of W. Blaine Beam Intermediate School. We look forward to welcoming her to the Cherryville community and supporting her leadership as Beam begins another successful school year.

Today is an important step forward for our community. We thank the Board of Education, Superintendent Houchard, county leaders, and everyone who participated in this process. 

Cherryville Education Alliance