CMS Student Assignment

Note: The information below is from May 2017 but has been preserved on our website as it may contain helpful historical information.


The latest information related to CMS Student Assignment Review and potential impacts to Torrence Creek and our Middle and High School Feeder Patterns, as of May 2017.

CMS Student Assignment Review Information

Notes from the May 3, 2017 CMS Information Session at Bradley Middle 

Disclaimer  These notes were taken by a CMS parent and are NOT the official CMS record of the meeting.  To view the online broadcast of the meeting, please click on the link below.

CMS Video of Session

Opening Comments: 

  • Meeting held to review of outcomes & guidelines and answer questions
  • Attendees were provided with index cards and asked to write questions on index cards and hand in so they could be answered for the benefit of everyone.
  • Phase II Proposals Review
  • Additional Criteria

Proposal Description Questions:

M. Hayes clarified:

  • Student who is a rising Jr. or Senior when changes go into effect will stay at the school they are at without moving
  • Area on map in green are areas that are impacted

M. Hayes gave a detailed review of Utilization at Hough and Hopewell Hough is at 123% capacity after change will go down 108%

  • Hopewell is at 89% utilization and will go to 106% utilization
  • Hough is at 123% utilization and will go to 108% utilization if the changes are approved
  • At Hough – 13 teachers do not have a classroom of their own this move should improve that number

 Questions & Feedback:

Q:  Will you allow a sophomore with a sibling to stay at Hough if the sibling has no transportation. 

A:  In the past that has not been allowed but will be discussed as they accept the proposal.  Parents can appeal to the board individually for a request such as this.

Q:  Why can’t students who will be freshmen next year stay at Hough instead of having to change schools?

A:  The Board has worked with planning and zoning and looked at new neighborhoods and cannot allow that due to the potential growth.

R. Lennon – noted that there are new neighborhoods being built in both zones so they have to look at the potential growth

R. Lennon – Land banked behind Grand Oak for High School – if your kids are in Kindergarten/ Pre- school they may receive a new high school but it is too soon to know for sure now.  There are  schools with over 3K in high school which will need priority sooner than our area.  Right now Hopewell is the only local school that is under-utilized right now.  We cannot push them  south to other Charlotte schools which are already at capacity.

Q:  Will this move be enough to bring Hough to be a less crowded school?

A:  Yes – it will put them at nearly the same percentage Hopewell will be at.

R. Lennon – about 100 per year – 400 total that will be moving from Hough to Hopewell

M. Hayes – Cambridge will be expanded to Grand Oak since it feeds to the local Middle School and HIgh Schools.

Q:  Can you explain the difference in the May 9, 2017 and May 24, 2017 meeting?

A:  May 9, 2017 is the public hearing / May 24, 2017 is the proposed vote

R. Lennon – May 16, 2017 is a workshop for School Board Members to review feedback

Q:  Why is SES such a big push for the board?

A:  SES means Educational Advantages and Disadvantages.  A child in a diverse school will have a more well-rounded educational experience.  During early stages of Student Assignment review the board looked at the diversity of the area using Free & Reduced Lunch as a benchmark. Family income is not the only indicator of what a student’s learning opportunity or learning home environment may be.  Other items looked at:

  • Family Income
  • Parent educational attainment
  • English Language spoken frequently in the home
  • Home ownership rates
  • Family Structure

R. Lennon – SES was not as big as a driving force for our local area. Neighborhood schools and Proximity were the bigger focus from her point of view.

Q:  Were schools that were considered in the Bond Referendum considered in this proposal?

A:  The Superintendent was very careful not to make too many changes to schools that will be impacted in the bond proposal.

Q:  What is being done to improve performance at Hopewell?

A:  Mr. Gisiano spoke and noted that there are specific community meetings coming up in which he and staff and students will meet with parents and discuss details around Hopewell’s programs etc.

  • Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at 6:30 pm – Wynfield Clubhouse
  • Monday, May 15, 2017 at 6:30 pm – Birkdale Clubhouse
  • Monday, May 22, 2017 at 6:30 pm – MacAulay Clubhouse

Q:  Why is my child being moved to help improve SES?

A:  The proximity, feeder patterns etc. were weighted equally.

R. Lennon – In my opinion it was more about proximity for this change. This was looked at for building utilization more than anything else in her view.

Q:  Explain the timing for a new High School in Huntersville

R. Lennon – It could be in the very late 2020s if the 2017 bond is approved – Huntersville is not on it or is far down the list. There is land banked beside Grand Oak for a high school and on the other side of Stumptown Rd.  for a Middle School.  CMS owns the land for those purposes.

Q:  If the bond does not get approved, will that push building a new High School back?

R.  Lennon – There is a mechanism called a Certificate of Permission which was used to build Hough and Barnette which could be used but it would have to be approved.

Q:  What is the extent of CMS involvement on Ocular Melanoma and the testing done around the school?

A:  The Phase I environmental site assessment that was done by the Health Department which cleared the area of risk. The entire 400 page study is available on the Hopewell website.   A summary 1 page overview was passed out as well.

R,. Lennon – In regard to the Town of Huntersville study. That is independent of the CMS study however, CMS has informed the town that the doors of Hopewell are open to them for anything they wish to test.