Hundreds gathered Monday night at Myers Park High for a public meeting about proposed new boundaries for south Charlotte schools. Another feedback meeting is scheduled for tonight at South Mecklenburg High at 6:30 p.m.

by Cristina Bolling

Sweeping changes are coming to tens of thousands of students in south Charlotte public schools that are slated to have their boundaries redrawn or see their school feeder patterns changed as a result of the opening of a new high school and a proposed new middle school in the coming years.

On Monday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials unveiled a draft boundary map that impacts 23 CMS elementary, middle and high schools.

CMS is hosting a meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m. at South Mecklenburg High School to explain the plan and get questions and feedback from families, and will also hold a Zoom meeting at noon on Thursday. There will be a second draft map circulated from April 19-21, with a public hearing and a final vote by the district board of education scheduled for May.

To make the proposed changes easy to digest, we’re breaking them down by school with what you’ll want to know — how boundaries are changing, how enrollment numbers are projected to go up or down and how socioeconomic diversity is expected to be impacted. (The enrollment numbers are dated 2026-2027, when the proposed new middle school would open and the full plan would take effect.)

This easy-to-understand breakdown is based on sifting through CMS’ 55-page presentation released this week and on interviews with CMS officials.

Here is our school-by-school analysis of the proposed changes:

High schools

➡️ Ardrey Kell High:

• Drops from an estimated 3,529 students to 2,744 students by losing students from Ballantyne Elementary and the southern section of Endhaven Elementary. It would receive students from the proposed relief middle school and Community House Middle School.

• Socioeconomic diversity: from 78% high/21% mid/1% low to 83% high/17% mid/<1% low

➡️ Myers Park High:

• Drops from an estimated 3,593 current students to 3,027 students by losing students from the southern section of Sharon Elementary and the northern section of Olde Providence.

• Socioeconomic diversity: from 56% high/25% mid/19% low to 50% high/28% mid/22% low

➡️ Providence High:

• Grows from an estimated 2,048 current students to 2,200 students by adding students from the northern section of Olde Providence Elementary.

• Socioeconomic diversity: from 79% high/21% mid/<1% low to 78% high/22% mid/<1% low

➡️ South Mecklenburg High:

• Drops from an estimated 3,344 current students to 2,599 students by losing students from the northern section of Endhaven Elementary, the western section of McAlpine and Pineville Elementary. It would gain students from the southern of Sharon Elementary.

• Socioeconomic diversity: from 30% high/23% mid/47% low to 41% high/8% mid/50% low

Middle schools

➡️ Carmel Middle School:

• Drops from an estimated 1,076 current students to 819 students by losing students from the northern section of Olde Providence Elementary, who would shift to South Charlotte Middle School. A portion of the school would be reassigned to South Meck High.

• Socioeconomic diversity: from 61% high/5% mid/35% low to 55% high/1% mid/44% low

➡️ Community House Middle School:

• Drops from an estimated 1,412 current students to 1,066 students by losing students from Ballantyne Elementary, who would shift to Jay M. Robinson.

• Socioeconomic diversity: from 67% high/30% mid/3% low to 78% high/22% mid/<1% low

➡️ Crestdale Middle School:

• Drops from an estimated 1,001 current students to 899 students, losing students from Providence Springs Elementary while picking up students from Elizabeth Lane Elementary and a portion of Lansdowne Elementary that is south of Alexander Road.

• Socioeconomic diversity: from 73% high/20% mid/7% low to 65% high/29%mid/6% low

➡️ Jay M. Robinson Middle:

• Drops from an estimated 1,305 current students to 892 by losing students from Hawk Ridge Elementary north of Bryant Farms Road, McKee Road Elementary and Providence Spring Elementary. It would gain students from Ballantyne Elementary, portions of Endhaven Elementary and portions of McAlpine Elementary.

• Socioeconomic diversity: from 85% high/15% mid/<1% low to 53% high/38% mid/9% low

➡️ Quail Hollow Middle School:

• Drops from an estimated 1,144 students to 928 students, as all students from Endhaven elementary would be assigned to Jay M. Robinson Middle.

• Socioeconomic diversity: from 14% high/32% mid/55% low to 15% high/27% middle/57% low

➡️ Rea Farms STEAM Academy (K-8):

• If a proposed 2023 school bond passes, it would convert from a partial K-8 magnet school to a full magnet in 2025-2026. Drops from an estimated 1,109 to a number that will be based on magnet seats and students who remain at Rea Farms. Non-magnet students in grades 6-8 from neighborhoods west of Providence Road would be assigned to the new relief middle school. Non-magnet students east of Providence Road would attend South Charlotte Middle. Students who wish to stay at Rea Farms may do so.

• Socioeconomic diversity: from 98% high/<1% mid/<1% low to N/A (result is unknown due to changing the school from a partial magnet to a full magnet)

➡️ South Charlotte Middle School:

• Grows from an estimated 808 students to 1,049 students, as it gains portions of McKee Road, Olde Providence and Providence Spring and Rea Farms, and Elizabeth Lane Elementary leaves South Charlotte Middle and goes to Crestdale Middle.

• Socioeconomic diversity: from 66% high/31% mid/3% low to 82% high/18% mid/<1% low

Elementary schools

➡️ Ballantyne Elementary:

• No boundary change, but students would be reassigned to Jay M. Robinson Middle School and the new relief high school.

➡️ Elizabeth Lane Elementary:

• No boundary change, but students would be reassigned to Crestdale Middle School.

➡️ Endhaven Elementary:

• No boundary change, but all students would be assigned to Jay M. Robinson and the new relief high school. (They now attend Jay M. Robinson Middle, South Charlotte Middle, Quail Hollow Middle, South Meck High and Ardrey Kell High.)

➡️ Hawk Ridge Elementary:

• No boundary change, but students from neighborhoods north of Bryant Farms Road are reassigned to the new relief middle school.

➡️ Lansdowne Elementary:

• No boundary change, but students from neighborhoods south of Alexander Road and west of Providence High School would be reassigned to Crestdale Middle.

➡️ McAlpine Elementary:

• No boundary change, but all students would be assigned to Jay M. Robinson and the new relief high school. (They now attend South Charlotte Middle, Jay M. Robinson Middle, South Mecklenburg High and Providence High.)

➡️ McKee Road Elementary:

• Grows from an estimated 493 current students to 535 students by adding students from the east section of Rea Farms STEAM Academy, which is slated to become a full magnet under the proposed 2023 bond package. Students from McKee Road would be reassigned to South Charlotte Middle School instead of Jay M. Robinson.

• Socioeconomic diversity: from 62% high/38% mid/0% low to 68% high/32%mid/0% low. (Note: numbers will be adjusted based on magnet seats and students who may stay at Rea Farms instead of changing schools.)

➡️ Olde Providence Elementary:

• No boundary change, but some students would be reassigned from Carmel Middle to South Charlotte Middle and to Providence High.

➡️ Pineville Elementary:

• No boundary change, but all students would be reassigned to the new high school.

➡️ Polo Ridge Elementary:

• Grows from an estimated 598 current students to 1,033 students by adding students from the west section of Rea Farms STEAM Academy. Students would be assigned to the new relief middle school.

• Socioeconomic diversity: from 87% high/13% mid/0% low to 93% high/7% mid/0% low. (Numbers will be adjusted based on magnet seats and students who may stay at Rea Farms instead of changing schools.)

➡️ Providence Spring Elementary:

• No boundary change, but all students would attend South Charlotte Middle. (They now attend Jay M. Robinson and South Charlotte middle school.)

➡️ Sharon Elementary:

• No boundary change, but students who live south of Sharon View Road would be reassigned to South Mecklenburg High.

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➡️ Link to the full plan as presented this week by CMS.

What happens next? CMS officials will hear feedback from the community on this draft map at meetings on Wednesday and Thursday, and then will circulate a second draft of the map April 19-21 and solicit more feedback. The school board will hold a public hearing and vote on a plan in May.

📅Want to get involved? Mark your calendar for these meetings or submit a feedback form:

• Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., South Meck High School

• Thursday, 12 p.m. on Zoom 

Phase II Draft II Scenarios:

• April 19, 6:30 p.m. at Ardrey Kell High School

• April 20, 12 p.m. on Zoom 

• April 20, 6:30 p.m. at Providence High School

• April 21, 12 p.m. on Zoom

 CMS school board public hearing and vote:

• May 9, 6 p.m. public hearing, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center

• May 23, 6 p.m. board vote, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center 

Cristina Bolling is managing editor of The Ledger: [email protected]

Related Ledger articles:

• “BREAKING: CMS unveils latest south Charlotte boundary maps” (March 27)

• “Tense meeting as CMS parents digest boundary proposals” (🔒, March 28)