One Last Summer Hoorah: Char-Meck School District Transitions to Program Choice Model and Reinstates Superintendent
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
Meeting Recap - August 11, 2026
"The Board of Education has made the decision to return Dr. Crystal Hill to her role as superintendent following her temporary leave." - Stephanie Sneed, Board Chair (District 4)
I. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order with 7 members present in the chamber and a single member (Witherspoon) participating via simultaneous communication (Zoom). Board Member Hayes was not present.
Chair Sneed then introduced the children of Board Members Monterrey-Duvall, Hatch, and Witherspoon. Their CMS students then lead the pledge of allegiance.
II. Consent Agenda
What is a Consent Agenda?
A group of routine items, like past meeting minutes, standard bills, and minor personnel updates, that are combined and approved in a single vote. To ensure transparency, any board member can easily "pull" an item from the consent agenda to discuss and vote on it separately.
The Board unanimously (8-0) approved the consent agenda.
The consent agenda included contracts for Proximity Learning, Jordan Driving School, coaches for new and beginning teachers, and several construction management contracts for upcoming capital projects.
Consent Agenda Items
Meeting Minutes
Closed Session Minutes for January 27, 2026
Closed Session Minutes for February 10, 2026
Closed Session Expulsion Hearing Minutes for February 12, 2026
Closed Session Minutes for February 24, 2026
Community Capital & Bond Committee Meeting Minutes for March 13, 2026
Facilities, Finance & Operations Committee Meeting Minutes for April 13, 2026
Facilities, Finance & Operations Committee Meeting Minutes for June 01, 2026
Family and Community Engagement Ad Hoc Committee Meeting Minutes for June 1, 2026
Regular Board Meeting Minute for June 9, 2026
Facilities, Finance & Operations Committee Meeting Minutes for June 22, 2026
Regular Board Meeting Minutes for June 23, 2026
Closed Personnel Hearing Minutes for June 25, 2026
Family and Community Engagement Committee Meeting Minutes June 29, 2026
Special Virtual Meeting Minutes for July 22, 2026
Contract Approvals
Oracle Cloud Software License Renewal - $981,569.33
Finance, budgeting and forecasting, human capital management and payroll software license
Overdrive (Sora) Curriculum Platform Master Contract - $375,000
Online platform that provides e-books resources for students and teachers
Avant Assessment Contract - $257,700
Proficiency assessments in seven languages for all high school credit Level I and II World Language courses
IMSE Orton Gillingham Plus Program Master Contract - $403,948.05
A part of the district's MTSS program specifically for interventions for CMS students K-2 demonstrating needs in phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling, and fluency.
Imagine EdgeEX & On-Demand Tutoring Curriculum Platform Contract - $1,333,173.33
Also known as Edgenuity, this online platform provides online course opportunities for students who need initial credit courses, blended learning courses, and credit recovery courses, as well as 1:1 tutoring.
The Caring School Community SEL Curriculum Materials - $402,455.63
K-8 social emotional learning curriculum to be implemented through the Student Support Services Department
Kick Up Contract - $192,250.00 per year for two years
Online platform that combines professional development management, instructional coaching tracking, and walkthrough tools into one unified software.
Master Contract with Proximity Learning Inc - Cost is determined based on use
Provide live virtual teachers in high need vacancy areas on an as needed school basis. The contract suggests the district will use paraprofessional teachers aids to manage the in-person students while a licensed teacher provides instruction virtually.
Master Contract with ECU & UNCC New Teacher Coaches - $600,000
New Teacher support, training, coaching, and feedback for CMS new teachers in the 2026-2027 academic school year.
Contract Award to Glacier Point South LLC - $551,280
Ice Cream supplier
Master Contract Award to Beverage Vendors - $528,000
Vendors include:
Apple & Eve
Pepsi Bottling Ventures
Shaver Foods
Jordan Driving School Contract - $2,600,000
Driver and traffic safety education for all eligible students between the ages of 14 ½ and 18
Capital Investments
Architectural Services for Allenbrook Elementary School (2023 Bond) - $3,072,429
Architectural services for Allenbrook Elementary Replacement School provided by Little Diversified
Construction Phase Services Middle School #2 North - $66,942,874
Essential work components for building a new middle school including architectural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and site work. Services will be provided by Metcon, Inc. The new building is scheduled for occupancy in August of 2028
Construction Management Servies
Vendors will provide services such as scheduling, estimating, constructability, logistics, and bidding during the preconstruction phase for the following schools:
Allenbrook Elementary School (2023 Bond) - $300,000 provided by Swinerton Builders
Coulwood STEM Academy (2023 Bond) - $383,929 provided by New Atlantic Contracting
East Mecklenburg High School (2023 Bond) - $670,751 provided by Rodgers Builders
Garinger High School (2023 Bond) - $295,902 provided by DA Everett/Barr & Bar
Matthews Elementary School (2023 Bond) - $284,131 provided by Edifice Construction Company
New Middle School #3 Southwest - $355,382 provided by Consigli Construction Company
University Parks Arts (2023 Bond) -$314,373 provided by Frampton Construction Company
Wilson STEM Academy (2023 Bond) - $333,000 provided by Metcon, Inc
Personnel Appointments
Daniel Gray, the current principal of Ridge Road Middle School, is to serve as the new principal of Harper Middle College beginning on September 14, 2026.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; for indeed, that's all who ever have." - Cynthia Stone, Board Member District 5
III. Public Engagement
Public comment addressed four major themes: NC Pre-K, “K Needs Play” (a play based learning initiative), Classroom Technology, and Madison Central Park
NC Pre-K
Community members Kevin Campbell and Latoya Scott highlighted operational and funding challenges in the NC Pre-K and public pre-kindergarten programs. They noted a major enrollment imbalance: school-based pre-K classrooms are completely full, yet provider-based classrooms remain dramatically under-enrolled due to the program's current reimbursement model. Community members claimed that funds for approximately 1,000 empty seats were reverted back to the state for the 2025/2026 school year.
K Needs Play
Molly Arbach and schoolteacher Michelle Walker celebrated the trial launch of the play based learning program for the upcoming 2026/2027 school year. This program will integrate one hour of daily self directed play across nine trial schools starting on the first day of school, benefiting approximately 6,000 kindergarteners. According to the Charlotte Observer, the nine schools participating in the program are: Eastover Elementary Hawk Ridge Elementary River Gate Elementary Elizabeth Traditional Elementary Oakhurst STEAM Academy Lansdowne Elementary Villa Heights Elementary Collinswood Language Academy Druid Hills Academy.
Classroom Technology
Sheri Bissell, Mary Grinton, and pediatrician Liz Portoris of Schools Beyond Screens CMS expressed serious concerns over the expansion of educational technology and screen centered classrooms The organization proposed that the school implement a set of guidelines called the "Essential Six” to reduce student screen time during school. These proposed guidelines include:
Block Youtube on student technology devices
No student technology device use for PreK-2nd grade
Prohibit student technology device use during indoor recess
Eliminate mandatory minimum i-Ready usage requirements
Enact a bell-to-bell ban on personal technology devices
CMS Board of Education commitment to review technology policies to ensure they align with evidence based practices during the 2027/2027 school year.
Madison Central Park
Neighborhood residents Christina Fine, Kelsey Van Dijk, and Mark Davidson spoke in opposition to a plan that would allow the Dilworth Youth Sports Association (DYA) to construct baseball fields at Madison Central Park (located next to Pinewood Elementary) and use the property a six-day-a-week. Concerns were expressed about the loss of multi-use community green space, traffic congestion, noise, safety, and a lack of local community engagement in the planning process.
IV. Reports
Why are there reports?
The section of the meeting is dedicated to informational presentations by the superintendent, staff, or board committees on district progress, finances, and special projects. Votes are not always required for reports.
The District presented reports to the board on student outcomes, student technology use, and back to school planning. Financial reports and budget amendments for June 2026 were also presented.
Student Outcomes Focused Governance: Goal 3 (Grades 9-12), Interim Measure 3.2 Monitoring Report
Presented by Interim Superintendent Dr. Balknight, this report tracks high school student performance against Goal 4. Goal 4 intends to have all CMS graduating students on track to be enrolled, enlisted, or employed (the "3 Es") by achieving at least one of six career and college indicators.
Current Data
12th Grade performance is "On Track". The expected cohort achievement is projected at 82%, exceeding the annual district target of 78%. Gains were projected across all demographic groups, with double-digit growth among multilingual learners, rising from 50% to 62%.
9th, 10th, and 11th Grade measures are "Progressing". Current projections are below annual targets with 9th grade at 1% against a 14% target; 10th grade at 41% against a 50% target and 11th grade at 65% against a 72% target.
Dr. Balknight stated that the difference between the projection and the goal is artificial. The district has not received final official end-of-year data from the state for college credits, industry credentials, or concentrator pathways. School district staff believe the numbers will significantly rise once all data is certified in the fall.
Additionally, it was announced that counselors and school leadership teams have been equipped with a new dashboard to monitor off-track students.
Revisions to 2026-29 Goal and Guardrail Interim Measures
Presented by Dr. BethThompson and Dr. Patrice Faison, this report focused on updating student safety and social-emotional wellness metrics.
The following revisions were proposed to Guardrail 2 (Safety and Security)
Goal 2.3
Previous Goal: The percentage of teachers who say that “The following are student conduct issues at my school: “Threats of violence toward teachers” will decrease from 22% in April 2024 to 18% by April 2027.
Revised Goal: The percentage of teachers who say that “The following are student conduct issues at my school: “Threats of violence toward teachers” will decrease from 22% in April 2024 to 15% by April 2029.
The following revisions were proposed to Guardrail 3 (Social-Emotional Support)
Goal 3.1
Previous Goal: Increase the percentage of schools meeting CKH Culture & Climate baseline for teachers on the mid-year survey from 31% in April 2025 to 75% by April 2027.
Revised Goal: The percentage of students identified as chronically absent who are offered the appropriate tiered intervention(s) will increase from XX% in October 2026 to XX% to June 2029.
Goal 3.2
Previous Goal: Increase the percentage of schools meeting CKH implementation fidelity for leaders on the mid-year survey will increase from 23% in April 2025 to 75% by April 2027.
Revised Goal: The percentage of students identified as needing Tier 2 social emotional / mental health interventions who are offered the appropriate intervention(s) will increase from XX% in October 2026 to XX% to June 2029.*
Goal 3.3
Previous Goal: Increase the percentage of high school students engaged in at least one extracurricular activity or club from 33% in June 2025 to ___% by June 2027.
Revised Goal: The percentage of students identified as needing Tier 3 social emotional / mental health interventions who are offered the appropriate intervention(s) will increase from XX% in October 2026 to XX% to June 2029.
The district announced that it would be transitioning to a single, unified documentation system to track student interventions, monitor progress, and evaluate outcomes. Currently, this data is tracked independently at the school level and not by the district. Additionally, the district will begin training all staff in Youth Mental Health First Aid (aiming to finish high school staff by December 1, 2026) and will host bi-annual Mental Health Summits in October and May
In response to previous requests from board members, the district also introduced a new tracking feature that will display Title I versus non-Title I student performance data in future monitoring reports as a proxy for socioeconomic status.
Elevating the Student Experience in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Presented by Dr. Thompson and Danielle Miller, this report launched an initiative to evaluate and restructure student technology use and screen time in the classroom by implementing a four phase plan beginning in August 2026 and ending in May 2027.
Dr. Thompson announced the district will immediately implement the following safety measures for the upcoming school year:
K - 2 students will no longer be allowed to independently access YouTube on school-issued iPads; YouTube may only be used during teacher-led instruction in.
K-2 students learning will prioritize hands-on literacy games and physical print books over screen based e-books when available. Technology in the K-2 classroom will be restricted to times when it is "truly needed" for learning.
Technology will not be allowed as a replacement for physical activity during indoor recess
The number of district wide benchmark exams will be reduced from three tests to two for grades 3-8
Back to School Presentation
Presented by Dr. Esposito, this presentation focused on first-day readiness and parent communication. The district introduced OnFlow, an AI-powered virtual assistant on the CMS website that provides families with 24/7 support for enrollment, nutrition, and transportation questions Additionally, parents were urged to download the three essential apps to stay connected for the upcoming school year:
Infinite Campus, to track grades and complete forms.
ParentSquare, the primary communication tool for schools to connect with families.
AlphaPortal, the new live bus tracking and arrival notification app replacing "Here Comes the Bus".
"We don't want to have something that could lead to increasing our gaps... because there may be (technology) platforms that we're using that help close our gaps." - Dee Rankin, Board Vice Chair (District 2) in response to the discussion on the proposed student technology evaluation.
V. Action Items
What are Action Items?
Action Items are the are specific proposals that require the school board to take formal action by holding a public debate and casting a vote.
The board held multiple votes to approve the Superintendent's Recommendations following the Comprehensive Data Review, transitioning the district from "school choice" to "program choice" pathways.
Closing
At the close of the meeting, Board Chair Sneed announced that the board voted to return Dr. Crystal Hill to her duties as Superintendent following a temporary leave and independent review of district operations. Sneed stated that the review identified issues requiring ongoing leadership and operational attention, which will be addressed directly with Dr. Hill.
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