CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will present its $2 billion budget to Mecklenburg County commissioners Tuesday, asking the county to give the district around $570 million.
On the heels of the pandemic, and other issues including what some say was low morale throughout the district, CMS had more than 1,000 teachers resign since the beginning of the school year. Last fall, CMS said an increase in pay is drastically needed.
This year’s budget request includes a significant pay raise for teachers as just one of the efforts to keep teachers around. If approved CMS teachers would become the highest paid in the state.
The budget also wants to hire more counselors to help deal with the emotional well-being of students. CMS said that even though this budget request is $40 million more than last year, the need is definitely there and more than worth it.
"In our case, you have to invest money to get a return in student achievement and you can't do it by cutting budgets, it's not gonna happen," Hugh Hattabaugh, the interim superintendent said.
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