Longest-serving member of Robeson County school board dies

ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. (WBTW) — The longest-tenured member of Robeson County’s school board died recently, district officials announced on Saturday.

Mike Smith served from 1990 through 2023, acting as chairman and leading multiple committees during his time with Public Schools of Robeson County’s board. An obituary was not immediately available.

Smith was a standout athlete during his time at Red Springs High School, where he graduated in 1976, and was at sporting events there.

Red Springs High School’s planned Mike Smith Football Stadium will anchor its athletic complex.

“The district, its leaders and students are better for knowing Mr. Smith and for his decades of work to benefit students and move the school district forward,” officials said in a statement. “May Mr. Smith’s family take comfort in his legacy, integrity and strength, knowing that his influence will live on in the many lives he touched.”

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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12 . See more of his work here .

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