CMS approves changes to school boundaries in south Charlotte

Parents and students in the chamber were not happy, and made sure to let the school board know.

The new boundary lines will set off the reassignment of thousands of students across southern Mecklenburg County beginning in the 2024-2025 school year.

CMS said it had to redraw boundary lines that determine the route that students take from elementary to middle to high school, because of a new high school that will open this upcoming school year and a middle school that will open the next.

“There are 42 thousand students affected in this geography right? So when we get to the end, you’re hearing the few people who are still unsatisfied,” Executive Director of Facilities Planning and Real Estate Dennis LaCaria told Channel 9.

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School board members Jennifer De La Jara and Lisa Cline voted no, saying that she had hoped CMS would have expanded the geographical areas that were included in the boundary changes -- not just the southern portion of the county.

Some parents felt the same way.

“We understand that south Charlotte is growing, we understand that with the growth, we have more people, more people, more kids, so we need more schools, we understand this,” said Ralitsa Katz.

“Let’s not place this burden only on one community,” Katz added.

The board did approve an amendment to the map proposed by board member Summer Nunn.

Last week, students and parents formed a human chain to protest the proposal. They locked arms from Alexander Graham Middle School to Myers Park High School to show how close the schools are.

VIDEO: CMS holds hearing on school boundary changes in southern Meck County