CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Teachers across Mecklenburg County had their first day of school Tuesday, a week before any student steps into a classroom.

At Ranson Middle School, eight-grade social studies teacher Justin Keene knows what can happen if they're not prepared.

"If you come in frazzled and not ready, the kids know it and they will eat you up," Keene said.

Ranson is coming off one of its best years. It had increased end-of-grade scores in reading, math and science.

But Principal Nancy Hicks hasn't spent the summer celebrating their success. She's been keeping an eye on the budget.

"We have been planning for Plan A, Plan B and beyond, depending on what staffing ends up being," Hicks said.

Ranson wasn't given any extra teachers in the recently released new teacher allotment list, but there's still a chance they'll get additional help.

"We're hoping with these new positions that we're hoping to get, we can be at a healthier situation when it comes to class size," said Hicks.

Area superintendents have control over 150 of the 268 new teaching positions.

To add a new teacher, principals will have to explain where the teacher will be used, why the position is needed and who it'll benefit.

The area superintendents will then decide who gets what.

CMS officials have not said whether the 150 positions have been divvied up among learning communities yet.

CMS will keep 68 of the new positions vacant in case they don't get all the money they were promised by the state.

District leaders do not expect any or all of the new hires to be ready for the first day of school.

Hicks said that, for now, they just have to focus on what they can control.

"Everyone else just takes on a little more," she said.

• PDF: Teachers Added To CMS