PHASE II South County Relief Schools

SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION

• South County Relief Schools Superintendent's Recommendation 05-23-23
• South County Relief Schools Superintendent's Recommendation - SPANISH 05-23-23

Revisions made to the presentation and the map reflect the intent of the Superintendent’s Recommendation, and include:

• • Correcting discrepancies between the map and the verbiage in the feeder table information
  • Correcting a slight discrepancy in the neighborhood boundaries of Olde Providence (South of Rea Road) and Stonecroft (West of Colony Road, and the contiguous neighborhoods)

Interactive Map

https://cmsplanning.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=e8d8a47ef03b4557a815482f0c5f404e

• Click here for interactive map instructions.

PHASE II PRESENTATIONS: 

• Video Recording: Phase II Draft 2 South County Relief Schools April 19-21
• Phase II Draft 2 South County Relief Schools ppt April 19-21
• Phase II Draft 1 South County Relief Schools ppt March 27-31
• Phase II Reset South County Relief Schools ppt March 14-15
• Virtual Recording: Phase II Reset South County Relief Schools ppt March 14-15

PHASE II RESOURCES:

• Phase II Draft 2 Community Feedback
• Phase II Draft 1 Community Feedback   

PHASE I South County Relief Schools

PHASE I PRESENTATIONS: 

• 03-01-22 South County Relief High School ppt
• 04-07-22 South Charlotte Relief High School Boundary Scenarios ppt
• 11-11-22 New Relief High School Boundary Scenarios
• 11-14-22 new Relief High School Boundary Scenarios ppt
• 11-22-22 New Relief High School Boundary Scenarios ppt
• 12-02-22 Relief High School Boundary Scenarios ppt
• 12-06-22 Relief High School Boundary Scenarios ppt

PHASE I RESOURCES:

• Meeting notes and presentations can be found in this folder.

• Phase II Superintendent's Recommendation Feedback
• Phase II Draft 2 Community Feedback
• Phase II Draft 1 Community Feedback  

A: When the student-weighted staffing, student capacities which can differ from school to school and  the number of classroom teachers exceeds the number of brick and mortar classrooms, we consider a school to be overutilized. Due to constraints including available capital funding, CMS uses mobile classrooms to increase instructional space; however, portables are intended to be temporary. Relief of overutilization provided by the construction of a new school means that attendance boundaries need to be redrawn when the new school opens. The opportunity to open new schools and relieve current schools means creating additional opportunities for students, in addition to creating an overall better educational environment and experience.

A: The boundaries are decided according to The Charlotte-Mecklenburg  Board of Education’s Student Assignment Policy S-ASGP, S-ASGP/E2, and community input. The Board’s main four priorities (weighted equally) are minimizing home-to-school distance; keeping feeder patterns together; creating socioeconomically diverse schools; and maximizing utilization of our buildings and facilities. We also seek to plan for future growth and other facilities changes or site restrictions.

Virtual and in-person community engagement sessions have taken place March-December 2022 and will continue in March and April 2023. A list of all past and upcoming sessions and materials are posted on the Planning Services website.

A: The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education votes on final recommendations.  The final recommendation will be presented at the May 9th Board meeting. A public hearing will take place with a final vote on May 23, 2023.

A: While the focus is on offering relief to Ardrey Kell, Myers Park, and South Mecklenburg high schools, and Rea Farms K-8, Jay M Robinson Middle, and Community House Middle, there will be other schools in the area impacted by boundary or K-12 feeder pattern changes.

A: CMS staff is committed to exploring opportunities which may differ from past practice related to opening relief schools.  This may include adoption of a “stability plan” or “phase in plan” to open the new high school with freshmen and sophomores only.  The relief middle school is intended to open with grades 6 and 7; 8th graders which would remain at their current school. This will ultimately be explored through the engagement process. 

A: Families have two options as relates to their neighborhood school assignment: your 12^th grader would remain at their current school and your 10^th grader would attend  the newly assigned school; or your family can make a transfer request for your 10^th grader to keep your children together at their current school. Information about reassignment/transfers can be found here.

A: Families may request a transfer to stay at your current school; decisions are made based on available capacity. CMS also offers a wide variety of Magnet schools (www.cmschoice.org)  that are based on a lottery instead of neighborhood attendance zones.

We understand that changing schools can be difficult because you and your student(s) have a connection with your current school. However, entire neighborhoods are reassigned so there will be some amount of peer group consistency.  Additionally, staff from the current school often move to the relief school as the student population changes. Leadership for the relief schools will be determined ahead of opening, so that families will have opportunities to visit and start to form relationships with administration and staff.

A: Please refer to Board Policy S-ASGP/R section V regarding residency requirements, Board Policy S-ADMN concerning the admission of nonresident students, and Policy S-IASG covering the improper assignment of students to schools. The district now also requires residence verification when students transition levels (e.g., from middle to high school).

A: We track new residential developments and estimate the number of new students that would bring to each school. Student enrollment estimates are made with these new developments in mind The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education does not have taxing/funding authority.  Mecklenburg County Government funds the capital needs of CMS, including new and relief schools, but the City of Charlotte and each of the Towns in Mecklenburg County have development and permitting authority.  CMS is aware of, and plans for growth, but is not necessarily able to address overutilization situations as they arise.

A: All students attending their newly assigned home school will receive transportation based on the new attendance boundaries and the grade level that populates each school.  Transportation is not provided for transfer students.

A:  Bell schedules for new schools are determined based on bus routes, start and end times for instruction and other elementary, middle and high school bell times, and traffic.

A: Most high schools have bell schedules that align to support extracurricular offerings, sports, and other afternoon activities (including work and internships).

A:  Student parking is available at the relief high school; management of student parking is handled by the school administration.

A: Typically, the principal is hired 6-12 months before the school opens and they work to hire other staff and teachers. Some teachers may come from the affected schools but there is a limit established in Board regulation P-ASG/R.

A: All public schools in the state are required to follow the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.  The state adopts a curriculum and instructional materials.  Often, CMS schools may offer a magnet theme or instructional thread in addition to what is specifically outlined in the NC Standard Course of Study.  Decisions on themes and threads are reached through community engagement with school and district staff, including representatives from the CMS School Choice department.

A:  If your student is currently accepted into a magnet that is not offered at their new school, they will retain the opportunity to continue in that magnet program.

A: This will be identified and shaped by the new school staff and students.

A: This depends on the grades that the new high school opens with.  If opening with only 9^th and 10^th grades, it may be two full academic years before varsity sports are offered. Middle schools opening with 6^th and 7^th graders would not have sports in their first year of operation.

A: The new school administration will work with families to start establishing relationships and gather community input on, e.g., school colors, mascot, and name. Decisions on naming schools are made according to Communication Policies and Guidelines. There will be an opportunity to create an SIT/SLT and PTO/PTSA.

Please submit additional questions or feedback using this form: 

https://forms.gle/88RSt16z8zSPgZ1f8https://forms.gle/uURi4Biwh2tbNrzs6