Community welcomes Cumberland County students back to school

SPRING LAKE, NC (WTVD) -- The time has arrived for students to go back to school, but for Lillian Black Elementary School, it was also about getting back to a sense of community.

Lillian Black Elementary pulled out all the stops on the first day of school with a visit from the mayor, Spring Lake Police Department, Spring Lake Fire Department and a few Fort Bragg soldiers.

School Superintendent Lillian Dr. Marvin Connelly served up breakfast inside before getting the students settled into their classrooms.

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Today's visit is one of 87 planned for the next few days at schools across the district. Connelly hopes to visit the entire school system as he continues to lay out his priorities for the school year.

"Our priority is to have safe schools..secure schools," said Connelly.

Cumberland County Schools spent the entire summer upgrading security features.

"Parents will have to stop at the entrance ring the buzzer and someone will have to let them in. It's a small inconvenience to make sure our angels are secure," said Dr. Connelly.

A $500,000 grant will fund additional school resource officers while the School Angels program enlists volunteers to keep watch.

"We've been inviting community volunteers and citizens to volunteer in our schools like you said an extra set of eyes and ears on our campus," said Connelly.