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BACK TO SCHOOL 2017: CMS, 18 other districts head back to class

By Elsa Gillis
By Elsa Gillis

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tens of thousands of students from 18 districts, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, headed back to school Monday. As students across the Carolinas head back to class, CMS is taking new steps this year to avoid problems the district saw last year.

[BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL SECTION]

In 2016, late pick-ups and unpredictable drop-off times were just some of the issues the district faced. This year, parents and school officials are hoping for a smoother start.

A year ago, the district was down about 90 drivers, but as school starts again, it's only looking to fill 28 spots.

[BACK TO SCHOOL FORECAST: Cool and cloudy first day back]

One incentive CMS has put in place to attract more drivers has been a boost in pay. This year, each bus driver is getting an extra $1,500.

To help make sure parents are in the loop with bus times and delays, CMS said it's changed the notification process. In October, the district plans to launch an app for parents to track their child’s school bus.

Though CMS parents won't be able to use the bus-tracking app until October, parents in Union County can start using it right away.

[VIEWER PHOTOS: Students head to class for the first day of school 2017]

The district added the “Here Comes the Bus” app for phones, tablets and computers. It allows parents to see where their child's bus is before and after school.

Parents can also sign up for alerts to know when the bus is arriving at their child's stop.

CMS had to deal with its first school bus crash of the year Monday when a driver rear-ended a bus headed to Myers Park Traditional.

The collision happened around 9 a.m. on Mulberry Pond Drive near Tuckaseegee Road. Police said there were six students on board but none of them were hurt.

The driver of the car told police her brakes failed.

[As your child heads back to school, send us their First Day Back pictures. Print out our posters, and send us a photo on Twitter, using the hashtag #Back2SchoolOn9.]

Despite the extra bus drivers for the start of the school year, CMS officials said parents should still expect bus delays -- at least for the first few weeks of school. If parents have any concerns about their child's route, they should contact the transportation call center.

First day of school for superintendent as well

Superintendent Clayton Wilcox said he had a lot of anxiety since Monday was also his first day of school with CMS. So far though, he said the day was off to a good start.

Wilcox said everything went smoothly.

Channel 9 was with him as he visited Mallard Creek High School, where he provided an update on the day. So far, Wilcox has dropped by Mallard Creek and three other schools and kept an eye on district operations.

“As I go around, one of the things I’m doing, I’m not just looking to meet and greet,” Wilcox said. “I am looking at things that I would change, that I would do differently.”

The only challenge so far has been with transportation, where there were reports of late buses, plus a wreck involving a bus with no injuries. He said the bus driver shortage the district is facing wasn't the biggest factor for students getting to school late.

“As traffic began to build, we had some issues with late buses, primarily because of the heavy traffic volumes and not because of a challenge in transportation itself,” Wilcox said.

The superintendent plans to visit three or four more schools before the day ends and will provide another media update Monday evening at 5 p.m.

Back to school traffic problems

Motorists will see a lot of extra Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department patrol cars and motorcycle units on the road Monday. They’ll be looking for drivers speeding in school zones or driving around stopped school buses.

Last school year, officers wrote 639 tickets for speeding in a school zone, up 9 percent compared to the year before.

As the new school year gets underway, drivers will want to give themselves plenty of extra time to get to school or work, and could face some major traffic headaches.

For weeks, Channel 9 has been reporting about the problem on Mallard Creek Road. A 20-foot sinkhole has shut the road down near Johnston-Oehler Road. Schools affected by the detour include Mallard Creek High School and Parkside Elementary.

CMS bus drivers have been practicing their alternate routes for a week and hope to still be able to get their students to school on time.

[READ MORE: Construction projects could create traffic issues as CMS heads back]

Channel 9 is closely watching another closure that could impact back-to-school traffic. In Elizabeth, Hawthorne Lane is shut down at Independence Boulevard.

"In the past month, we've closed Hawthorne Lane Bridge for reconstruction and are currently doing underground utility work also," said Juliann Sheldon with CATS.

The closure in Elizabeth could affect drivers who are trying to get to Hawthorne Academy, Piedmont Middle School and Elizabeth Elementary School.

CMS still looking to fill teaching positions

As of Friday, CMS leaders said they have 65 teacher positions still left to fill, which is fewer that the 97 openings they had at the same time last year.

[READ MORE: CMS numbers show increase of teachers being assaulted by students]

The district said its biggest needs are in elementary school and high school math, as well as teachers who work with exceptional children and career and technical classes.

[CHANNEL 9 REPORTERS AND ANCHORS: Can you guess who these students are today?]

The district will be using substitutes until full-time teachers can be found.

This year, CMS teachers will also be getting an average 3.3 percent pay raise, while principals and assistant principals will receive a 7 percent raise.

Other employees are in line for either a 3 percent raise or an extra $1,000, whichever is more.

CMS ups fee for pay-to-play 

For the first time, student-athletes in CMS will have to pay more to participate in sports.

Across both middle school and high school, the district said it has more than 15,000 athletes each year, and it's costing them more to keep those programs going.

With the increase, high school athletes pay $25 more per sport, from $100 to $125. Middle schoolers also have to pay an extra $25, moving their total to $75 per athlete.

Parent Chris Ellis is one of many parents who questioned why the increase was needed.

“What was the reasoning? How did they come up with that $25 for the high school. How'd they come up with that per sport?”

CMS officials said the increase covers operational costs, which haven’t changed since the 2010-2011 season, which was also the first year the district started charging fees.

Other parents Channel 9 spoke with said they support the move if the student-athlete shows a genuine interest in playing sports, d if the district offers a breakdown of where that money is going.

Parents only have to pay the fee if their child makes the team.

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