CMS will not renew agreement with Niner University Elementary School

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools will not renew their agreement with the Niner University Elementary School next year.

CMS said today that they will not renew the partnership due to the aging facility it’s in and the goal of 300 students not being achieved.

CMS and UNC Charlotte began their partnership in 2020 to give new options for families and opportunities for college students.

Niner Elementary at Amay James is located in the Reid Park neighborhood.

Channel 9’s Jonathan Lowe spoke with parents who said they felt blindsided by the decision. The entire Niner University family said they didn’t see it coming.

“I was shocked, I was devastated, and I didn’t know what I was going to do,” said parent Tiffany Akomani.

“We were blindsided as parents, but the staff, the principal, everyone was blindsided,” said parent Jessica Simpson. “They literally just hired a new principal for this upcoming year, so there were no signs to us that this was going to happen.”

They said the goal of the school was to support students from high-needs, low-performing schools or students who were struggling academically.

“Both of my children have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum,” Simpson said.

“He struggles with reading, and I feel like it has a lot to do with him being a pandemic kindergartner; the basics, they pretty much missed,” Akomani said.

Lorraine Galloway said her child has been a Niner-U student since kindergarten and is now rising into the fourth grade.

“I’m really upset that they closed down the school because I actually had a bond with the teachers, and they made me feel comfortable,” said Galloway.

Galloway said the school helped her grow as well.

“I struggled a lot with reading and math. Now, I’m on the 5th-grade level math,” Galloway said.

This is not just a loss for parents and students. CMS confirmed the 32 staff members at the school are now out of a job.

“They have been nothing but a support system for us and have done nothing but advocate,” said Simpson.

The district said it held three transition sessions, helping families enroll their students in CMS. However, parents said those sessions are too little, too late.

“I have to look into what’s available, but because it was so last minute, we literally do not have a lot of options,” said Simpson.

CMS sent the following statement to UNC Charlotte in regard to the agreement ending:

“We are writing to inform you of an important decision regarding Niner University Elementary School (“NUES”). NUES is the result of a partnership and agreement between the University of North Carolina (“UNC”) at -Charlotte and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, pursuant to NCGS 116-239.5, as memorialized in a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”), which became effective May 1, 2020. The five-year term of the agreement concludes on June 30, 2025.

After careful consideration and in an effort to do what is best for all students, we have made the decision not to renew our NUES Memorandum of Understanding when it expires June 30, 2025. By making this decision now, families have the opportunity to enroll in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (“CMS”) immediately and throughout the summer. We are committed to a smooth transition for all students at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year.

This decision was not made lightly. Several critical factors were considered, including the aging NUES facility. In addition, the enrollment of at least 300 students by the 2023-2024 school year, anticipated by the MOU, has not been achieved. These concerns have led us to conclude that continuing the current agreement is no longer sustainable.

We are committed to supporting every student and family affected by this transition. Our enrollment team is ready to work closely with families to find the best fit within our schools and award-winning programs. For more information, please visit our CMS registration webpage.

In addition, NUES staff are encouraged to apply for vacancies within CMS. Our recruitment team will provide dedicated support throughout the application process. Additional details can be found on our CMS hiring webpage.

Chancellor Gaber, I want to thank you for your incredible leadership. We greatly appreciate the variety of ways we continue to partner with UNC-Charlotte through pre-service experiences for educators, ongoing research, Early College programs, and educator continuing education options. We anticipate even greater innovative collaboration in the future. Finally, we look forward to welcoming and supporting NUES students and staff during this transition."

The agreement will officially end on June 30. Families can enroll their students in CMS through the summer.

UNC Charlotte sent the following statement on the contract not being renewed:

“UNC Charlotte is disappointed by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ decision not to renew the Niner University Elementary School Memorandum of Understanding, allowing it to expire June 30, 2025. The University is committed to supporting the school’s staff as well as the affected students and families during this transition.

We are proud of the hundreds of students who have come through NUE since it opened in August 2020. The school has served as a meaningful partnership between the University and CMS, and we are grateful for the opportunity to have played a role in shaping young learners’ experiences over the past five years.

We will continue to work closely with CMS during this time of transition and on our other collaborations serving our community."

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