Charlotte Observer endorsements: A historic school bond referendum is on the ballot

Bond referendums in Mecklenburg County tend to be relatively quiet affairs. Not so much this year. The $2.5 billion in school bonds that will appear on the ballot in November is the largest ask for a public school district in North Carolina history, and officials are campaigning hard for it.

The bond package would fund 30 different projects in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, including construction of three new middle schools and significant renovation and replacement of aging school facilities. That’s sorely needed, as many schools are severely overcrowded or otherwise unsafe due to poor air quality and ceiling leaks. CMS has said that, if passed, the bond package will require property taxes to be increased three times through 2029.

But not everyone supports the bond. A group of Black faith leaders has recently come out in opposition to the bond because they believe the tax increases would disproportionately impact Charlotte’s historically Black communities. Some county commissioners expressed similar concerns and thought the bond ask should have been lower. Meanwhile, some CMS parents have said they won’t support the bond because they are unhappy with the school board, particularly over its handling of issues like school reassignment and student outcomes.

They have reason to be skeptical. Given all of the district’s stumbles in recent years, expecting taxpayers to invest a record amount of money in what CMS says will improve schools is certainly a big ask. Voters still don’t have a lot of trust in CMS, and we don’t blame them — CMS leaders haven’t always been good stewards of public dollars.

But rejecting a massive bond referendum isn’t the right way to hold the school board or the district accountable.

Voters wanted a change on the school board, and they got it last year when they elected five new members, ousting three incumbents in the process. They can make change happen again this year with three at-large seats on the ballot — two of which are guaranteed to be filled by newcomers since two current members aren’t running for re-election. There is also guaranteed to be a new chair.

Voting down the bond referendum isn’t going to teach CMS a lesson — it will only hurt students in the long run. A lot of this maintenance is already long overdue, and rejecting the bond would only delay it further. There is a cost to waiting, and the district’s issues with HVAC, mold and mildew will only worsen if left unattended. Construction costs won’t get any lower, either, and the project backlog will grow longer if CMS doesn’t start to make progress on it now.

Of course, the bond package isn’t going to magically solve every problem within CMS. Updated school buildings won’t directly address the teacher shortage, critically low test scores or the achievement gap. A successful bond referendum is not a substitute for addressing those issues, nor does it preclude CMS from taking necessary action to improve student outcomes at the same time. CMS can — and must — invest in both.

While opponents worry about how the tax increases will impact Black and brown communities, it’s also true that a majority of the projects laid out in the bond package will benefit those same “crescent” communities, including a long-promised replacement for Second Ward High School. Opponents have also requested a commitment to meaningful minority business participation in bond projects, and CMS should heed that request.

School construction needs are legitimate, and they must be met in order to ensure quality learning environments for students. But that can’t happen unless voters give CMS the resources it needs to meet them. Yes, $2.5 billion is a whole lot of money, but the cost of blocking it is too high. We recommend voting yes on the bond referendum.

This story was originally published October 23, 2023 at 5:00 AM.