CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Opening day went smoothly across the district for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools on Aug. 27, as more than 147,000 students came to 175 schools.
Dr. Clayton Wilcox, CMS superintendent, visited the Orr Road bus lot and several schools throughout the day, including Tuckaseegee Elementary and East Mecklenburg High.
“Teaching and learning was going on across our district on Day One,” Dr. Wilcox said. “Our school buildings were ready, thanks to huge efforts by our custodial and facilities staff, as well as the work of volunteers – thank you to everyone who helped us get ready for school!”
Dr. Wilcox said the district’s primary focus on opening day is the same as it will be for the rest of the school year: equity and excellence in teaching and learning.
“Today was a solid start,” he said. “We must focus on equity and excellence all year.”
As expected, the first day brought some late buses morning and evening, as well as some confusion as parents and visitors entered schools. At some schools, the sign-in system, called LobbyGuard, led to lines and delays and, in some cases, a system freeze from heavy use.
“We have to balance safety and security with first-day ease of access,” Dr. Wilcox said. “Please keep in mind that these systems are in place for the safety of students and staff. We’re looking at additional terminals and other ways to speed up the procedures. But we will always err on the side of security, because student safety is our top priority.”
On the first day, 1,088 buses traveled about 125,000 miles to deliver students to schools around the county. District officials have not completed an enrollment count but expect to have more than 147,000 students this year. Enrollment is likely to continue through the first few days of school.
The district opened three schools for the 2018-2019 year: Charlotte East Language Academy, Villa Heights Elementary and Wilson Middle. Dr. Wilcox said feedback on all three had been favorable overall. Three new school configurations – the pairing of Dilworth/Sedgefield, Bruns/Cotswold and the Governors Village schools – also drew favorable reviews.
“The community and staff have worked so hard and it shows on these campuses,” Wilcox said. “It’s a fantastic testament to community and the power of collaboration.”
The district is still looking for some bus drivers and teachers. On the first day of school, there were 42.5 teacher positions that were vacant without a recommendation for hiring in a total teacher workforce of 9,100 teachers. There were also 66 vacancies for bus drivers.
Some resources for families this year:
- Here Comes The Bus, an app that will track individual buses, can be downloaded here
- The Transportation Call Center can be reached at 980-343-6715
- The district now has an ombudsman, Earnest Winston. He can be reached at 980-343-0055 or at ombudsman@cms.k12.nc.us
- Additional resources can be found on the CMS Back to School page by clicking here
