Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Crystal Hill and her staff presented their 2026-27 budget request to Mecklenburg County Commissioners on Wednesday, receiving a mostly supportive reception.
The CMS board approved the budget proposal less than 24 hours earlier. They had rejected Hill’s first proposal last month, kicking off two weeks of tense special hearings. But several county commissioners expressed support for both the school board and Hill’s staff, suggesting they were happy to see the deep dive into the district’s finances.
“I really appreciated how they dug deep, how they pulled out items that meant a lot to them,” said Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell. “I really appreciate how the CMS staff met those questions and how you all were able to resolve that. I think that was a really great playing out of the way it should work, so I’m super super proud of our colleagues.”
Commissioners posed some tough questions of their own Wednesday. Leigh Altman asked the district to reconsider its continued investment in electronic devices for students, questioning technology’s impact on mental health. Arthur Griffin expressed frustration about a lack of data on performance of pre-K students.
But commissioners appeared supportive of the district overall, and offered congratulations for last year’s historic academic gains.
“I support this budget, I particularly support our supplement, I wish we could do more, I always do,” said Commissioner Laura Meier.
County Board Chair Mark Jerrell praised the collaborative relationship between the two boards and between staff.
“During my tenure on this board we have not had a greater positioning of collaboration,” he said.”And that makes a difference.”
Commissioners also expressed frustration about the lack of state funding, particularly in the wake of the North Carolina Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Leandro school funding ruling.
The nearly $2.1 billion spending plan includes a $700 million request for county funding that would cover a 5% increase to the local teacher salary supplement. That’s about $31 million more than last year’s request. The new funds would include $6 million to help fund a device refresh program, and more fixed costs – like pass-through funds to charter schools and higher utility costs.
Mecklenburg County's manager will present his own budget and his take on the school district budget request on Thursday.
