CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 16, 2017 — More than 140,000 Chromebooks for students. Fewer than 80 teacher vacancies. Drivers in place for each of 1,078 buses. Open houses scheduled for parents and students. All 176 schools scrubbed, painted and refreshed with 4,180 gallons of paint, 260,000 gallons of cleanser, 24,750 gallons of floor finish and 40,500 light bulbs. It all adds up to this: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is ready to start the 2017-2018 school year in 12 days.
“We’re really excited about the opening of schools. We’re really excited about what we can do for the kids,” said Dr. Clayton M. Wilcox, superintendent of CMS, at an Aug. 16 media briefing. “We’re going to build on a rich legacy of success.”
Dr. Wilcox said that the 2017-2018 school year was particularly busy because of new schools and programs, the planning work for the new student-assignment plan and the $922 million bond request on the Nov. 7 ballot. The district is asking voters to approve the bond request in order to address 29 projects, slightly less than half of the $2.2 billion in needs identified in the CMS long-term capital plan.
He was joined by executive leadership of the district at the briefing, held at Berewick Elementary, for a comprehensive update on readiness for the new school year. From hiring and wiring to instruction and construction, each leader offered a summary of the work done over the summer and earlier to prepare for the 2017-2018 year.
Chief Operations Officer Carol Stamper offered an incisive description of the task of readying 176 schools: “It’s spring cleaning on steroids,” she said, going on to offer “Ms. Stamper’s Four R’s: Repair, replace, relocate and refresh.” It took a lot of supplies and a lot of people to get the work done, she said.
“We have a large team working hard to make our schools the best they can be,” Stamper said. She also added a fifth R that falls under her operations team: Reaching out during the summer to students who need breakfast and lunch. The CMS Child Nutrition department has served 465,000 lunches and 217,000 breakfasts during the summer months, she said.
Vincent Smith, the interim chief human resources officer, provided a full report on teacher vacancies. As of Aug. 16, the district had 75.3 full-time teacher jobs open – fewer than the 114 the district had at the same time last year. The largest number of vacancies is in high school, with 31 positions open. There are 22.3 open positions for elementary teachers, 14.5 for middle school teachers and seven for multi-grade teachers.
CMS is still looking for 33 bus drivers but will use supervisors and lead drivers to fill those slots until drivers are hired, said Janet Thomas, executive director of transportation. The district’s 1,078 buses will travel 120,000 miles each school day and the district has about 126,000 students who will use the bus to get to and from school.
Both Thomas and CMS Police Department Chief Randy Hagler urged commuters and other motorists to exercise extra caution when school begins – and also to remember that commute times could lengthen with the extra traffic on the road. “We encourage everyone to be patient,” Thomas said. “It takes a couple of weeks for things to settle in.”
She said the district’s transportation call center is open to help parents, already getting about 500 calls a day. The number is 980.343.6715 and Spanish speakers are available for parents who need them.
The district is continuing to upgrade and extend the reach of technology in instructional practice. “All students in grades three through 12 will have Chromebooks,” said Derek K. Root, chief technology officer. He said each student would have to sign a digital-citizenship agreement about appropriate use of the devices, and the agreement would come up the first time a student signs on to the device.
Chief Academic Officer Brian Schultz said the 2017-2018 curriculum included new resources for social studies and math, as well as a more creative curriculum district-wide. He also reminded parents that immunizations are required and students must show proof of them within 30 days or they can’t attend school.
“We want our students in school. Every hour and minute of instruction counts,” Schultz said.
CMS is also offering expanded magnet and program options in 2017-2018, said Akeshia Craven-Howell, associate superintendent for student assignment and school choice. Five new schools or programs will begin this year, she said, including a K-5 computer coding program at the new Dorothy J. Vaughn Academy of Technology, a Charlotte Teacher Early College and Merancas Middle College at Central Piedmont Community College. In addition, the replacement school for J.M. Alexander will open as well as the Renaissance West STEAM Academy.
CMS will open most of its schools (exceptions are continuous-learning schools and early or middle college high schools, which are already in session) on Aug. 28. The district expects to add about 750 students, bringing total enrollment (including pre-kindergarten) to more than 150,000. For CMS Fast Facts, click here.
Wilcox ended the briefing by discussing the $922 million bond request on the Nov. 7 ballot.
“I believe these bonds deserve the community’s attention,” he said. “I invite members of the public to educate themselves around this initiative. I can’t advocate – that’s not my purpose. My purpose is to raise the issue up and talk about why we might do this.”
To learn more about the bond issue, visit the CMS bond website here.
