The Cost to Leave CMS, What’s Next for The Town of Matthews

MATTHEWS, N.C.–Matthews Mayoral Task Force on Education met to discuss the future of breaking away from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to form their own district.

“We realized how much we have to backtrack and that we’re excited and so we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves,” says member  Ciminelli.

Members say they need to do more research before determining, how to break away.

“De-merge, I think it’s the term we talked about,” says Ciminelli.

“If it became the Matthews community schools, to look at buildings teachers and all kinds of things,” says Ciminelli.

One option under consideration is purchasing existing school buildings in Matthews.

CMS School board member Thelma Byers-Bailey says the district owns the buildings, and the general assembly would have to ultimately approve the separation.

“They would have to get the State to consider them an exception and then if the State does that, they are going to be facing other counties that may want to be an exception,” says Byers-Bailey.

Matthews Mayor Jim Taylor says they are exploring that option.

There is a possibility that those assets could be reallocated through the County, because CMS board doesn’t have any taxing I know everything goes through the county commissioners,” says Taylor.

Another option could include building schools.

County commissioner Jim Puckett says it could cost an estimated 40 million to build a high school and 25 million to build a middle school.

Despite the costs, many say change is needed.

“I do think the passion in the county especially Matthews is that we want to do what’s in the best interest of our students regardless if there is added cost,” says Taylor.