CHARLOTTE — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has requested $698 million in local funding from Mecklenburg County commissioners for the upcoming budget year.
This request follows the district’s passage of its own $2.1 billion budget on Tuesday night.
Mecklenburg County is responsible for providing a portion of the annual funding for Charlotte students, supplementing state contributions for teacher salaries.
The $2.1 billion Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools budget was initially rejected by school board members until district staff made adjustments. The county funds 15% of CMS teacher salary supplements, while the state funds 78% of CMS teacher salaries.
The $698 million request presented today to county commissioners seeks to secure the local funding portion for the school system.
Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools spoke frankly about the financial challenges facing public schools.
Dr. Hill noted that “county commissions across our great state of North Carolina have been overly supplementing what the state is required to do.”
She added, “You see where districts are really struggling and having to lay off high numbers of employees suddenly.”
Mecklenburg County Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell praised the district’s efforts in adjusting its budget.
“I really appreciated how they dug deep, how they pulled out items that meant a lot to them,” Rodriguez-McDowell said.
Rodriguez-McDowell also thanked the district for reinstating mental health support for students, which commissioners highlighted as a key part of the revised budget. “I want to say thank you for putting back those DSS and CMS positions,” she stated.
Commission Vice-Chair Leigh Altman expressed scrutiny regarding district spending. Altman suggested CMS consider spending less on yearly student device refreshes.
“And using these tens of millions of dollars for other things that are desperately needed in the system,” Altman said.
The finalization of the CMS budget coincided with the North Carolina General Assembly’s announcement of a proposed budget.
The state’s proposal includes an average 8% raise for teachers and 3% more for non-certified staff.
With the local supplement from county commissioners included in this budget, CMS will have the highest pay in the Southeast for beginning teachers.
Mecklenburg County Commission Chair Mark Jerrell affirmed the commission’s commitment to the schools. “We’re gonna continue to do the most we can do with what we have,” Jerrell said.
Commissioners today also received budget request presentations from Central Piedmont Community College and the court system.
Commissioners will meet to further consider the budget requests.
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