CMS Bond Package On The Ballot For Voters

CHARLOTTE, NC– “Seventy-eight percent of our schools are already completely full or overcrowded so we have a real overcrowding crisis,” said CMS Board Vice-Chair Elyse Dashew.

CMS Board Vice Chairwoman Elyse Dashew says the bond package will take care of about half of the county’s capital school needs. The $922 million dollars would pay for 29 projects including 17 new schools and 12 replacement schools. Dashew says there’s an independent committee keeping watch so voters can be assured every dollar will go where it’s meant to.

“We have citizens who are appointed to this committee to get reports on how the bond monies are being spent, how the projects are going,” said Dashew.

“I say yes, big yes, 29 projects our kids deserve it,” said Meck Ed President and CEO, Dr. Ross Danis.

Public education advocate and Meck Ed President Dr. Ross Danis supports the package, but not everyone is voting yes.

“It’s not all magnets but the ones in this bond package are being used just to break up poverty they’re not academically based and I think they leave at-risk kids at greater risk,” said County Commissioner, Jim Puckett.

Commissioner Puckett represents North Mecklenburg County where residents feel like they’re being left out.

“Huntersville, Cornelius, and Davidson are expected to grow by about 40-60,000 people over the next 10 to 15 years there are no new school seats in this bond package,” said Puckett.

Dr. Danis says this package would help areas already overcrowded, not ones expecting to be.

“I know no district in the country that builds schools in anticipation of need, there’s always need and then you’re trying to catch up with it,” said Danis.