Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Encyclopedia
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (abbreviated CMS) is a local education agency headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina
and is the public school system for Mecklenburg County
. With over 133,600 students enrolled, it is the second-largest school district in North Carolina
and the twentieth-largest in the nation. The system is best known nationally for its role as the respondent in the landmark 1971 Supreme Court
decision Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
as being among the 100 best high schools in the United States, a statistic based on the number of advanced classes that are offered to students.
During the 2006-2007 school year CMS students received $43.5 million in academic merit-based financial aid from universities and other organizations, and $12.1 million in athletic scholarships.
Superior Court Judge Howard Manning Jr. issued a ruling in which he accused CMS of "academic genocide" against at-risk, low-income students in low-scoring high schools. Since the debut of its new student assignment plan in 2002, and the end of its court-ordered busing program, CMS has seen an increase in concentrations of poverty, with schools that have student-poverty rates of at least 75 percent at twice the number they were before. In the same year, Judge Manning also threatened to close 4 of the lowest performing high schools, Garinger, Waddell, West Charlotte and West Mecklenburg. Many teachers and parents felt he had gone too far, and, in the end, this never occurred as the 4 high schools presented turnaround plans and their principals were deemed capable of carrying them out. The high schools are now included in a special Achievement Zone.
package in 2005 to improve facilities and build new schools for the first time in a decade. Dissenters cited spats between members of the school board and other well-publicized events that year hurting their confidence in the district's ability to spend money effectively. A $516 million dollar bond package was backed by 68% of voters in November 2007.
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
and is the public school system for Mecklenburg County
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
-Air:The county's primary commercial aviation airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte.- Intercity rail :With twenty-five freight trains a day, Mecklenburg is a freight railroad transportation center, largely due to its place on the NS main line between Washington and Atlanta...
. With over 133,600 students enrolled, it is the second-largest school district in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and the twentieth-largest in the nation. The system is best known nationally for its role as the respondent in the landmark 1971 Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
decision Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
Governance
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, or board of education|school board, consists of 9 members—3 at-large and 6 from districts. Before 1995, the board had been elected entirely on an at-large basis, but this was changed after it was discovered nearly all of the board members lived in the eastern part of the county. Members serve staggered four-year terms; the at-large members are elected in the year before presidential elections and the district members are elected in the year after presidential elections. Although school board elections are nonpartisan, the district members are elected from the same districts as the county commissioners.Superintendent of Charlotte City Schools
- T.J. Mitchell (1882–1886)
- Professor J.T. Corlew (1886–1888)
- Dr. Alexander Graham (1888–1913)
- Dr. Harry Harding (1913–1944)
- J.W. Wilson (1944–1949)
- Dr. Elmer Garinger (1949–1960)
Superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
- Dr. Elmer Garinger (1960–1962)
- Dr. A. Craig Phillips (1962–1967)
- Dr. William Self (1967–1973)
- Dr. Rolland Jones (1973–1977)
- Dr. Jay Robinson (1977–1987)
- Dr. Peter Relic (1987–1991)
- Dr. John Murphy (1991–1996)
- Dr. Eric Smith (1996–2002)
- Dr. James L. Pughsley (2002–2005)
- Dr. Frances Haithcock (2005–2006)
- Dr. Peter Gorman (2006-2011)
- Hugh Hattabaugh (2011-2012)
High schools
CMS operates 21 high schools, not including alternative schools or "schools-within-a-school". The following is a list of those high schools, divided by geographical region of Mecklenburg County, along with the year opened and mascot:University and Northern Mecklenburg
- Hopewell High SchoolHopewell High School (North Carolina)Hopewell High School is located in the fast growing area of northern Mecklenburg County, serving the areas of Huntersville, Cornelius, and Davidson. The school was founded in 2001 and has a state-of-the-art building housing the latest computer technology...
(2001, Titans) - Mallard Creek High SchoolMallard Creek High SchoolMallard Creek High School is a comprehensive public high school located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is the 21st high school in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools...
(2007, Mavericks) - North Mecklenburg High SchoolNorth Mecklenburg High SchoolNorth Mecklenburg High School is a high school in Huntersville, North Carolina. The school was founded in 1951 as an all-white school. It integrated in the 1960s. With over 3000 students, it was the largest school population-wise in North Carolina during the 2005-2006 school year. The current...
(1951, Vikings formerly Rebels) (Former Colors: Red & Black) - Zebulon B. Vance High School, part of the Governors Village complex (1997, Cougars)
- William A. Hough High SchoolWilliam A. Hough High SchoolWilliam A. Hough High School is a high school in Cornelius, North Carolina; a northern suburb of Charlotte. It will open for the first time in 2010....
(2010, Huskies)
Mint Hill, Matthews, and Eastern Mecklenburg
- David W. Butler High SchoolDavid W. Butler High SchoolDavid W. Butler High School, established in 1997, is located in Matthews, North Carolina. Butler's campus is .46% of the Butler teaching staff hold a master’s degree or above. - Official Bulldog Logo :- Athletics :...
(1997, Bulldogs) - East Mecklenburg High SchoolEast Mecklenburg High SchoolEast Mecklenburg High School is a public secondary school in Charlotte, North Carolina and one of 19 high schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools system. The principal of the school is Rick Parker. East Mecklenburg High School is partial magnet school in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools...
(1950, Eagles) - Garinger High SchoolGaringer High SchoolGaringer High School is a high school located in the Shamrock area of Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in 1959, it was one of the oldest remaining schools in Charlotte. Garinger was in essence the relocation of Central High School, Charlotte's first high school. That school was founded in 1909...
(1909, Wildcats: formerly Charlotte High School until 1959) - Independence High School (1967, Patriots)
- Providence High SchoolProvidence High School (North Carolina)Providence Senior High School is a Charlotte Mecklenburg School District high school located off of Pineville-Matthews Road in Charlotte, North Carolina. Providence serves southern and southeastern Mecklenburg County...
(1989, Panthers) - Rocky River High SchoolRocky River High School (North Carolina)Rocky River High School is a high school in Mint Hill, North Carolina; a suburb of Charlotte. It opened for the first time in the fall of 2010....
(2010, Ravens)
Pineville and Southern Mecklenburg
- Ardrey Kell High SchoolArdrey Kell High SchoolArdrey Kell High School is a high school in the Ballantyne neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina. Part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, it opened in 2006. The principal is David Switzer...
(2006, Knights) - Myers Park High SchoolMyers Park High SchoolMyers Park High School is a secondary school in Charlotte, North Carolina.-History:The school opened its doors in 1951 and has a rich sense of history and a legacy of academic success.-Facilities:...
(1951, Mustangs) - Olympic High SchoolOlympic Community of SchoolsOlympic Community of Schools is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is one of 19 high schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools system. It joined the Coalition of Essential Schools in 2005 with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and has split into 5 small, theme-based...
(1966, Trojans))) - South Mecklenburg High SchoolSouth Mecklenburg High SchoolSouth Mecklenburg High School is a public secondary school located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is part of the Charlotte Mecklenburg School District. It is locally known as "South Meck", or just "South"...
(1959, Sabres) - E. E. Waddell High SchoolE. E. Waddell High SchoolIn the mid-1990s, responding to phenomenal growth in the southern parts of Mecklenburg County, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board decided to build a new high school between South Mecklenburg and Olympic high schools. The new school was to open for the 2001-2002 school year...
(2001, Raiders)
Western Mecklenburg
- Phillip O. Berry Academy of TechnologyPhillip O. Berry Academy of TechnologyPhillip O. Berry Academy of Technology is a magnet high school located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is part of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System and was opened in 2003. The mascot is a cardinal and the school colors are appropriately black and red...
(2002, Cardinals) - Harding University High SchoolHarding University High SchoolHarry P. Harding University High School was established in 1992 as a Math, Science and Technology school in Charlotte, North Carolina. International Baccalaureate was added to the established program in 1995....
(1935, Rams) - Northwest School of the ArtsNorthwest School of the ArtsNorthwest Schools of the Arts is a grade 6 through 12 art magnet school in Charlotte, North Carolina.Northwest School of the Arts is an arts magnet school near downtown Charlotte, North Carolina...
(1996, Dragons) (No Athletic Program) - West Charlotte High School (1938, Lions)
- West Mecklenburg High SchoolWest Mecklenburg High SchoolWest Mecklenburg High School, colloquially known as West Meck is a high school located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is part of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System and was opened in 1951. The sports teams are known as the Hawks...
(1951, Hawks: formerly Indians)
Elementary and middle schools
CMS also operates 94 elementary schools and 32 middle schools.Achievements
Several CMS high schools have been recognized by NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
as being among the 100 best high schools in the United States, a statistic based on the number of advanced classes that are offered to students.
During the 2006-2007 school year CMS students received $43.5 million in academic merit-based financial aid from universities and other organizations, and $12.1 million in athletic scholarships.
Judge Howard Manning
In May 2005, Wake CountyWake County, North Carolina
Wake County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 900,993 making it North Carolina's second most populated county...
Superior Court Judge Howard Manning Jr. issued a ruling in which he accused CMS of "academic genocide" against at-risk, low-income students in low-scoring high schools. Since the debut of its new student assignment plan in 2002, and the end of its court-ordered busing program, CMS has seen an increase in concentrations of poverty, with schools that have student-poverty rates of at least 75 percent at twice the number they were before. In the same year, Judge Manning also threatened to close 4 of the lowest performing high schools, Garinger, Waddell, West Charlotte and West Mecklenburg. Many teachers and parents felt he had gone too far, and, in the end, this never occurred as the 4 high schools presented turnaround plans and their principals were deemed capable of carrying them out. The high schools are now included in a special Achievement Zone.
2005 and 2007 Bond Packages
56% of voters rejected a $427 million bondBond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
package in 2005 to improve facilities and build new schools for the first time in a decade. Dissenters cited spats between members of the school board and other well-publicized events that year hurting their confidence in the district's ability to spend money effectively. A $516 million dollar bond package was backed by 68% of voters in November 2007.