Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools: Board Approves Budget And Real Estate Recommendations

Press release from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools:

1/25/2022

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education voted to give final approval to the budget for the 2021-2022 year. The final approval of the $2.2 billion operating budget, which includes $472.1 million in temporary federal funds to address COVID-19 impacts, was delayed until the state budget was adopted, which took place in November.  Also approved were two enterprise-fund budgets: an $80.6 million School Nutrition Services budget and an $8.7 million After School Enrichment Program budget, as well as $18 million in sustainment capital funding and $4.9 million in capital replacement funding. 

"We are glad to have completed the full budget process," said Elyse Dashew, Board chair. "Although this was a formality, it's an important part of the total budget process we do each year."

The Board also discussed mid-year progress toward one of the Board's Strategic Plan 2024 goals -- 75% of students taking (and passing) a college-level course. College-level courses included are Advanced Placement (AP) courses, International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, dual enrollment courses (taking a college course while enrolled in high school) and Cambridge courses.

The first year the plan took effect was the 2018-2019 school year. The percentage of student participation in October 2017 was 47%; the current rate is 56%, down slightly from 58% at the conclusion of the 2020-2021 school year.

Superintendent Earnest Winston outlined three types of actions to get the district on track for the goal: immediate steps for grade 12, short-term steps for grade 12 and short-term steps for grades 10 and 11. These will include immediate monitoring and intervention for 12-grade students failing advanced courses; monitoring and support for students who are struggling at the end of the third quarter; and recruiting, encouraging and supporting students in grades 10 and 11 to take and pass advanced courses.

In other business, the Board voted to accept a recommendation for nine surplus properties. 

This press release was produced by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.