CMS proposes ending middle colleges, expanding early college seats

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Schools is weighing significant changes to its magnet offerings as part of a district‑wide effort to streamline programs and improve efficiency.

The proposal, which goes before the school board next Tuesday, would reduce the number of magnet themes from 16 to 6, a move some parents worry could dilute what makes CMS unique.

One of the biggest proposed changes involves CMS’s middle college and early college pathways.

District leaders are considering ending the middle college model and expanding early colleges, which allow students in grades 9–12 to earn high school and college credit simultaneously at no cost.

Deputy Superintendent Dr. Melissa Balknight said the demand for early colleges far outpaces availability.

“We’re saying that if we can add 800 seats, 800 more students will have access to this opportunity in the ninth grade,” Balknight said.

CMS currently operates four middle colleges, which accept students after their freshman and sophomore years if they maintain at least a 2.8 GPA. But Balknight says those programs struggle to fill seats and have no waitlists.

Early colleges, on the other hand, are full and then some. The district has a 1,300‑student waitlist for next school year.

“To meet this demand, the draft plan proposes transitioning all middle colleges into early colleges,” Balknight explained.

At CPCC’s Merancas Middle College campus, students say the program has been a strong fit.

Carlos Guzman chose middle college after watching his sister earn her associate degree.

“Getting the college credits and advancing forward … was a really big step,” Guzman said.

Jayla Hawkins said the free college courses were a major draw.

“It’s kind of like a two‑in‑one,” Hawkins expressed.

Middle College Coordinator Kendall Pauling believes the model benefits students who need more time to mature before stepping onto a college campus full‑time.

“It gives them a little bit more time to grow, to appreciate what this is,” Pauling elaborated.

Balknight acknowledges that not every family is ready for their child to begin college‑level work immediately after middle school.

Those students can choose dual enrollment, which keeps them at their traditional high school while allowing them to take college courses.

The district is also considering merging the International Baccalaureate and Academically Gifted programs into a single theme.

CMS said the popular Montessori program will not be cut; instead, it will be enhanced. These changes are part of a larger, multi‑phase process.

This fall, CMS will begin community engagement on the next step: realigning school feeder patterns and student assignment boundaries.

School board members will hear the final magnet recommendations at their meeting next Tuesday.

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