A short one for Center City. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education voted 8-1 Tuesday night to deny adoption of Superintendent Crystal Hill's proposed $2.1 billion budget for the 2026-2027 school year. Hill has until May 12 to bring back a revised version. The board did not say in open session what it wants changed.
Key takeaways for Fourth Ward residents
- The vote: 8-1. At-Large board member Monty Witherspoon was the only board member to support the budget as proposed; eight others voted to deny.
- The ask is in the budget. CMS is requesting $699 million from Mecklenburg County, about $31.1 million more than last year. That includes $8.8 million for an average 5 percent raise to the local teacher salary supplement, around $8.1 million in obligations to area charter schools, and a one-time $6 million for student device replacement.
- The state piece is unknown. The plan assumes a 3 percent state-driven raise to teachers' base salary. The North Carolina General Assembly has not passed a state budget.
- The dais exchange. After the vote, Hill asked the board four times for clarity on what specifically to amend. Chair Stephanie Sneed declined to discuss specifics in open session, then adjourned.
- What's next. The revised budget is due May 12, and a special-called meeting is likely before then.
Full reporting, including the verbatim exchange between Hill and Sneed at the dais, is in The Charlotte Mercury:
CMS Board Denies Hill's $2.1B Budget 8-1, Gives Her Two Weeks Without Saying What to Change