Education

A bipartisan legislative committee is set to begin debate next week on the merits and disadvantages of large school districts. Charlotte-Mecklenburg school officials are closely monitoring this issue, considering that CMS is the state’s second largest system. The topic is not new, but the committee is, and some are concerned that it will lead to legislation to break up large districts.

North Carolina candidates began filing Monday to run for Congress, the state legislature, district attorney and county positions. The Mecklenburg County Board of Elections was packed with candidates and their supporters before the start of filing at noon.

Republican leaders of the General Assembly say they have reached a deal to give school districts statewide more time to reduce class sizes for kindergarten through third grades.

The proposal, which still needs approval, also includes more money to keep art, music and physical education teachers in the classroom.

All this is good news for North Carolina's public schools.  

But it comes with some controversial political strings attached.

Federal prosecutors announced this week that most of the nearly $2 million that Appalachian State University was scammed out of in 2016 has been returned to the Boone-based college. School officials were victims of a fraudulent billing scheme that also involved a Charlotte-based construction company.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board members voted 7-2 Tuesday night to increase support for LGBTQ students by expanding the district’s multiculturalism policy. The vote followed a public hearing on the matter that was heated and, at times, combative. 

CMS officials met with the local delegation of state lawmakers Thursday and it was testy at times. The discussion centered on legislation lawmakers approved that would reduce class sizes for students in kindergarten through third grade; and a bill being considered that would allow the towns of Mint Hill and Matthews to use property taxes to run their own charter school.

Johnson C. Smith University was placed on probation last week by its accreditation agency. This week that agency released a bit more information about why it made that decision. It cited concerns about the school’s financial stability and control of its resources. But there are still a lot of questions. Smith officials are playing the probation down, saying they expect to clear it up soon. They, too, are not providing any specifics.

Johnson C. Smith University's accrediting agency has placed the school on probation.

During segregation, many all-black public schools had roles beyond being a place to get a diploma. They were used for celebrations like wedding receptions and dances. Sometimes they were secretly used by community leaders to plan strategies or hide activists from lynch mobs.

The nearly $1 billion bond for Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools has received significant opposition in north Mecklenburg county from residents who say it doesn’t adequately address the area’s growth. CMS officials say that area has benefited more from past bonds, and that other parts of the system have bigger needs.