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NEWS BRIEFS

Beam Intermediate School will remain open

WFAE | By Woody Cain
Published July 14, 2026 at 10:21 AM EDT

Gaston County Schools will not close Beam Intermediate School ahead of the 2026-27 school year.

The Gaston Gazette reports after months of discussion about a feasibility study, the district now says that it plans to operate the facility in the coming school year.

School leaders previously said that closing Beam would save Gaston County Schools nearly $300,000 per year - money they hoped would help fill a multi-million-dollar budget gap.

In addition to closing Beam, the district is still considering plans to consolidate resources for Gaston Virtual Academy, Gaston Early College High School and Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences.

Gaston County Commissioners will meet tonight at 6 to consider additional one-time funding for the school district.
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News from the Carolinas Gaston County Schools
Woody Cain
Woody is a Charlotte native who came to WFAE from the world of NASCAR where he was host of NASCAR Today for MRN Radio as well as a pit reporter, turn announcer and host of the NASCAR Live pre race show for Cup Series races. Before that, he was a news anchor at WBT radio in Charlotte, a traffic reporter, editor of The Charlotte Observer’s University City Magazine, News/Sports Director at WEGO-AM in Concord and a Swiss Army knife in local cable television. His first job after graduating from Appalachian State University was news reporter at The Daily Independent in Kannapolis. Along the way he’s covered everything from murder trials and a national political convention to high school sports and minor league baseball.
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