Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will refund spring sports fees, won’t rent gyms, classrooms
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will not rent space in its buildings, or gyms, to community partners, including youth sports teams, during the summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The district is also refunding a portion of the athletic participation fees paid for by middle and high school students for spring sports. Those spring seasons were cut short in March due to the pandemic.
CMS sent a statement to its community partners who rent and use its classrooms and gyms after school and during the summer saying the buildings will be closed. The district worries it cannot meet social distance, screening and sanitation requirements to keep participants safe.
The district is expected to make a decision regarding use of its fields shortly.
A school spokesperson told the Observer these guidelines did not apply to CMS high school teams, who would be using facilities for summer workouts, weightlifting and team camps, possibly beginning in June.
Via email, spokeperson Brian Hacker said “there has been no decision made concerning any CMS athletics during the summer months. As soon as we get answers, we will communicate the through the usual CMS channels.”
Last week, the N.C. High School Athletic Association said it would end its dead period June 1. But NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker told the Observer that the governor’s orders and state and local guidelines will “supersede anything we can ever do in the summertime.”
Gov. Roy Cooper has allowed North Carolina to move into Phase 1 of a reopening plan. That began May 8 and allows for such things as 50 percent capacity in retail stores and for child-care centers to open. It also calls for a 10-person limit on gatherings.
Phase 2, which could begin later this month, would increase the number of people allowed at gatherings and potentially open the door for student-athletes to return to campus.
▪ Hacker said the district was refunding participation fees paid by high school and middle school students for spring sports, which were suspended March 14. High school students paid $125 and middle school students paid $75 to play. Hacker said the pro-rated refund for high school students would be $76 and for middle school students it would be $48.
School records show 2,764 high school student-athletes and 2,731 in middle school were playing spring sports. Of that number, 917 high school students and 1,287 middle school students had their fees waived due to financial need.
CMS statement to community partners
CMS buildings will not open this summer for the traditional, face-to-face programming we have had in the past. We do not believe we can meet the social-distancing, screening and sanitation requirements that would make these programs safe for children and adults. We will continue to support summer enrichment opportunities to the extent we can safely do so by:
- Continuing to offer remote supplemental learning opportunities for all students beyond the close of the school year.
- Allowing continued use of Chromebooks and mobile hotspots throughout the summer for all students in grades K-11.
- Providing meal distribution and other services at grab-and-go sites. The current meal program will be suspended June 5. Extra food will be provided on the last day to take families into the week of June 8. The summer grab-and-go meal program and a modified mobile meal program will begin June 15.
