The renovation of Billingsville and Sedgefield elementary schools and Marie G. Davis should be complete by August 2025, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools staff told the school board Tuesday. They’ll be the first projects finished out of 30 approved in a record $2.5 billion bond referendum in November.
All are slated to reopen as Montessori magnet schools, taking the place of the older and smaller Chantilly, Park Road and J.T. Williams buildings.
The updated timeline for the first 12 projects, which will open between 2025 and 2028, was part of a presentation that included Superintendent Crystal Hill’s recommendation for management of the bond construction. She and her staff chose LeChase, Jacobs and Leeper, a trio of companies that have a long history with the district, as project managers. The board will vote on that arrangement on Feb. 27.
LeChase President Will Mack said the companies have handled more than 280 projects over 25 years.
“Even in trying times such as inflation, interest rates and most notably recently the pandemic, this team put their head down and really got to work and focused on delivering schools,” he said.
In the lead-up to the bond vote, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Black Political Caucus supported the bonds but issued a public call for CMS to ensure that minority-owned businesses get a larger share of the work than they have in the past.
Lorie Spratley of Leeper Construction, a Charlotte-based Black-owned company, told the board that’s the plan. “We’ve heard the community and we’re here to ensure that we continue to work strongly with the construction managers to increase that overall diversity participation,” she said.
Board member Melissa Easley asked for time estimates on the next batch of projects, but CMS planner Dennis LaCaria said that’s not ready yet.
