CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Voters will decide in about a month whether to give nearly $1 billion in bond money to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to build schools and fix existing ones.
The district is getting major backing from major organizations and companies. Eyewitness News anchor Stephanie Maxwell found it's not discouraging those who say no to the bond.
The group, Vote Yes for Bonds, said it has $354,000 in pledges for the bond campaign, after recently getting $25,000 from the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association.
“We need to enhance and upgrade our schools,” Roger Parham, president of the CRRA, said. “We need new schools.”
Parham said it was a no-brainer to back the bond with almost 50 other groups and individuals. They said they want all CMS students to learn in the best facilities.
Those groups include the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets, Novant Health, Carolinas HealthCare System, Deloitte and even the North Carolina Realtors Association which joined forces with the CRRA. Parham says quality-looking schools make it easier to market the area.
“We like to consider ourselves more than just selling homes,” Parham said. “We're really the ambassadors for our community; supporting your public schools is supporting your infrastructure.“
The bond is facing a challenge from a lot of voters, especially in north Mecklenburg County. The bond list shows no projects for the area, and residents said it's not fair because it's growing so much.
“North Charlotte is one of the premier growing areas, so I would think that really more of that money should go toward the northern part of the city so we can have room to put the kids,” voter Norma Cheatham, of Huntersville, said.
Parham said people have to do what's good for the district as a whole.
“We are all one community; Charlotte as a region,” Parham said.
The bond is on the Nov. 7 ballot.
List of those who have pledged to support the Vote Yes for School Bonds Campaign. The total number of pledges equal $354,000 in contributions. They haven’t listed amounts because we haven’t received all of the pledges and we need to file a preliminary finance report with the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections on Oct. 30.