CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education will hold a town hall meeting May 2, 2018, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Providence High School. The public, particularly parents whose students could be affected by HB514, is invited to attend.
HB514 is proposed legislation to allow the towns of Matthews and Mint Hill to create municipal charter schools and also gives the towns taxing authority to fund them.
“We want to share information about the potential impact HB514 could have on students and families in these towns,” said Mary McCray, the chair of the Board of Education.
A digital invitation to residents of the two areas has been sent out and McCray said the Board was eager to hear from families who would be directly affected by HB514.
“We would like to hear directly from the citizens of Matthews and Mint Hill about their concerns,” she said. “Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools serves all of Mecklenburg County and we want to be responsive to the students and families who choose public schools.”
HB514 was approved by the N.C. House last year and is expected to go to the N.C. Senate when the North Carolina General Assembly reconvenes May 16. The proposal, introduced by state Rep. Bill Brawley, R-Matthews, has divided the town’s elected officials. It was supported on a 4-3 vote by the Matthews Board of Commissioners April 23 and has been endorsed by Matthews Mayor Paul Bailey, a former member of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. The mayor pro tem of Matthews, John Higdon, opposes the bill.
The Board of Education has formally opposed the bill, saying it is not what is best for students or the community. The Board has also expressed concerns that the bill could have the unintended consequence of decreasing academic excellence and access for some students. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education statement on HB514 is available at cms.k12.nc.us.
“In addition to hearing from the citizens of Matthews and Mint Hill, we want to share our concerns about HB514 with them,” McCray said. “We need more collaborative time to review what this bill really does – how it will affect families and how it will affect CMS as a whole.”
Providence High School is located at 1800 Pineville-Matthews Road.
