Learning about schools is at the top of most newcomers’ lists. Families new to the Charlotte area will find a wealth of educational opportunities here, including public, private, parochial and charter schools.
The Charlotte region’s public school systems offer solid, broad programs that meet the needs of a wide range of students, from special needs to academically gifted, college prep to technical. North Carolina has traditionally encouraged consolidation of public systems so that many counties have a single school system. While many systems have consolidated, some remain fiercely independent, such as Mooresville Graded School District in southern Iredell County. York County in South Carolina also has four public school systems, each with its own distinct qualities.
The largest public school system in the Carolinas is Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). This system is 22nd-largest in the nation, with over 130,000 students enrolled in 167 schools.
The issue of pupil assignment is a large one in the CMS system. From the early 1970s until spring 2002, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools operated under a federal court desegregation order that placed emphasis on assigning pupils to schools to achieve a balanced racial mix. That court order has now ended and Charlotte-Mecklenburg has a new assignment plan that offers a K-12 feeder system, choice opportunities, stability, guaranteed school assignment and diversity through choice by letting parents decide which school is right for their child. For complete details on the current assignment plan, check the CMS website at www.cms.k12.nc.us.
CMS will continue to provide top-rated educational opportunities such as the Bright Beginnings program. This program offers a literacy-rich curriculum to 4-year-olds who might otherwise start kindergarten already behind other students. The program has proven its worth by preparing students to be on par with or ahead of their peers as they begin elementary school.
CMS features an innovative magnet school program that provides opportunities for students to pursue specific interests in their education. Fourteen magnet programs in 50 schools focus on such subjects as foreign language immersion; communication arts; math, science and technology; visual and performing arts; and accelerated learning.
The CMS system is rightly proud of its steadily improving performance in such areas as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and end-of-grade tests.
CMS participates in the state’s ABCs of Public Education Accountability Program, which establishes standards for performance and improvement for every public school and then assesses the school using results on end-of-grade tests. The program ensures that schools are meeting the educational standards set up by the state and rewards schools that exceed their goals. Check the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Web site at www.ncpublicschools.org for details on the ABCs at the schools you’re considering.
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