Mecklenburg commissioners approve $33 million bond advance to CMS

Mecklenburg County commissioners Tuesday approved a $33.2 million advance to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to be repaid by a 2017 bond referendum.

The money would let CMS to begin land acquisitions, totaling $22.5 million, for six projects and to begin $10.7 million in design and preconstruction work for another six projects.

“We believe this funding is critical because it will allow us to accelerate the district’s student-assignment work and it directly supports the goals and guiding principles recently approved” by CMS, school board chairperson Mary McCray wrote commissioners.

Several students and parents from Collinswood Elementary, one of the schools that would benefit from the advance, described severe overcrowding and deteriorating conditions.

Other existing schools that would get advance money: Harding, Marie G. Davis, Montclaire, Waddell, Shamrock Gardens and Briarwood.

Commissioners Vilma Leake and Ella Scarborough, who had said they were unhappy that deteriorating West Charlotte High was not among those schools, voted against the advance.

In an earlier vote Tuesday, commissioners moved to potentially acquire 3 acres CMS owns near Sedgefield Middle School, but reduce the estimated $3.8 million cost of that land from the bond-advance money.

“They’re going to net the same amount of money,” commissioner Matthew Ridenhour said.

This story was originally published September 6, 2016 at 10:02 PM with the headline "Mecklenburg commissioners approve $33 million bond advance to CMS."