CMS board takes student assignment talks to the public
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board prepared Thursday to take student assignment talks to the public, setting dates for a hearing and an online opinion poll.
Decisions about where students will go to school in 2017-18 remain months away. But plans laid at Thursday’s committee meeting open the door to the widest public engagement so far.
The board has spent months talking about a broad review of boundaries, magnets, busing and other issues related to where students go to school. But most of those talks have taken place in committee meetings on weekday mornings, with only about a dozen spectators attending.
In the next six weeks, the full board will discuss and vote on broad goals (see attachment), with a public hearing set for Feb. 9. The board meetings where the goals will be discussed take place Tuesday evenings and are broadcast live.
An online survey is set to go live Jan. 29, asking parents, students and other community members their views on bus rides, magnet options, racial and economic diversity, neighborhood schools and the best ways to break up concentrations of poverty.
The committee set aside work on a more detailed list of guiding principles discussed in the fall. Members agreed that the broader goals and survey results will guide them as they hire a consultant and move toward specifics.
In May, the board is scheduled to decide whether it’s on track to have a full plan in place by November or whether it needs a one-year delay.
Ann Doss Helms: 704-358-5033, @anndosshelms
The goals
▪ Reduce the number of schools with high concentrations of poor and high-needs students.
▪ Preserve and expand successful schools and programs.
▪ Provide alternatives for students assigned to low-performing schools.
▪ Reduce overcrowding and promote equitable access to academic options.
Next steps
Jan. 26: Student assignment goals will be discussed at a full board meeting, 6 p.m. at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, 600 E. Fourth St.
Jan. 29: Online public survey about student assignment begins.
Feb. 9: Public hearing on student assignment goals, 6 p.m. at the Government Center.
Feb. 23: Board vote on student assignment goals.
Community forums
Tuesday: The Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice will host a discussion of school resegregation, 7 p.m. Jan. 19 at Caldwell Presbyterian Church, 1609 E. Fifth St. Details: www.charlotteclergycoalition.com; Rev. John Cleghorn, 704-957-4511; or Rev. Robin Tanner, 704-307-0869 or robin@puuc.org.
Thursday: School board member Rhonda Lennon will host an education summit for residents of north suburban District 1, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Jan. 21, Cornelius Town Hall, 21445 Catawba Ave. Contact: rhonda.lennon@cms.k12.nc.us.
Jan. 30: The League of Women Voters will host a student assignment update, 10 to 11:30 a.m., South County Regional Library, 5801 Rea Road.
Feb. 6: The League of Women Voters will host a student assignment update, 10 to 11:30 a.m., North County Regional Library, 16500 Holly Crest Lane, Huntersville. League contact: Helene Hilger, hhilger@uncc.edu, 704-568-5431.
This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 2:23 PM with the headline "CMS board takes student assignment talks to the public."