The public had the opportunity to weigh in on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ proposed 2025-26 budget on Tuesday night, and many said they want a more ambitious plan that spends more on teachers.
Residents who spoke at the school board meeting called on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to aim higher, particularly on teacher pay. They said higher wages are crucial, even in a year where uncertain state and federal funding have created a tighter-than-usual budget cycle.
Several people said they wanted CMS to pursue a 10% increase in the local teacher supplement, double the district’s proposed request for Mecklenburg County.
“I don’t envy you — the situation you’re in, sandwiched between increasing costs and decreasing revenues — but this is where I think the county is gonna need to step up,” said Sandra Diaz. “What we’ve got is a situation where both the state and the federal government are hostile to public education.”
Several current and former educators spoke out as well, concerned about the challenges of teaching in a public school system where turnover is rampant and budgets are tight.
One of those teachers was Rae LeGrone, a visual arts teacher, who told the board she’s overwhelmed because of teacher shortages in her department. She said she believes Mecklenburg County can do more.
She cited numbers that appeared to come from a recent study from the Public School Forum of North Carolina that ranked Mecklenburg County 83rd in the state in terms of school funding effort — a metric that looks at school appropriations as a percentage of county revenues.
“We need you to do our duty to our schools and ask for the hard budget, and then negotiate in good faith with our county commissioners,” LeGrone said. “We need you to hold our district accountable for every single dollar that isn’t going directly to our students and our buildings.”
CMS is proposing a $2.1 billion budget, including a request of $667 million from Mecklenburg County — $28 million over last year’s budget request. The recommended budget plans to cut 40 vacant teaching positions, though some who spoke on Tuesday warned that any cuts will impact already overworked educators.
The local teacher supplement is a local add-on to the base teacher salary, which is set by the state.
The board will vote on the budget later this month. Mecklenburg County will consider the district’s request in May.
