Two weeks before Mecklenburg County voters decide whether to authorize $2.5 billion in school bonds, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board spent 40 minutes reviewing what they plan to do with the money.
The board actually made those decisions months ago. The review of artists’ renderings and project descriptions was aimed at voters who might be watching.
“Our kids deserve the best. Our staff deserves the best. And I think that this bond provides an opportunity for an environment that’s conducive to learning,” said board member Dee Rankin, who said he’s made that pitch at many community meetings.
The $2.5 billion plan shatters the state record of $1.7 billion in school bonds that Guilford County voters approved last year. The bonds would provide CMS money to build four new schools and renovate or replace 20 existing schools. The plan also includes design money for six more projects, including a regional athletic facility in west Charlotte, bringing the total to 30.
Unlike previous CMS bond campaigns, this one is so big that county officials say they’ll need to raise property taxes to repay the CMS debt. The estimate is that it will require an additional 3 cents, spread out over the next five years. That would add about $120 a year to the tax bill for a $400,000 home. That’s sparked opposition from some county commissioners and local clergy, who say the property tax increases will lead to gentrification and displacement.
Staff and board members also talked about the safety advantages of new buildings, especially at high school campuses made up of several buildings. Putting everything into one large building or a couple of connected buildings limits access and makes it easier to screen students as they arrive.
Superintendent Crystal Hill talked about a conversation with a student at West Charlotte High, which last year moved from a 14-building campus into one new building.
“There were so many issues with violence and weapons on campus, and that has essentially gone away,” Hill said. “And so she was just saying how grateful she was for her new school.”
CMS employees are prohibited by law and school board policy from using paid time or public resources for political campaigns, such as encouraging people to vote yes for bonds. But they are allowed to present information about the needs that led to the request and plans for spending bond money.
The last time CMS put bonds on the ballot, Mecklenburg voters approved a $922 million package in 2017. Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the board heard a report from the Bond Oversight Committee. That’s a volunteer panel appointed to report on whether the district is making good on its bond promises. So far, 24 of the 2017 projects are finished and five are under construction.
The panel reported that most projects were finished on time and within budget. Only two openings were delayed during a stretch that included the COVID-19 pandemic and steep escalation in construction costs.
Committee Chair Dennis Dreyer, senior vice president for corporate properties at Wells Fargo, used the opportunity to urge voters to approve the new bonds.
“It’s a big number,” he said, but “a vote for the bonds is actually a vote not just for the kids, not just for CMS but it’s a vote for Charlotte.”
