CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As Charlotte grows, so does the need for services that support new residents.
One focus for the city is education.
Both Charlotte city council and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) are working to make sure there are enough classrooms for students, as homes are built.
They do this, in part, by looking at how land use could impact local schools.
In a transportation, planning, and development committee meeting, CMS Facilities and Real Estate Planning Director Dennis LaCaria laid out how the district projects when a new school or expansion is needed.
“We take into consideration all sorts of things like the number of building permits. We look at resident birth counts," LaCaria said.
Then, they share the number of expected students and capacity estimates with council, according to Councilman Ed Driggs, who chairs the committee. Driggs hopes to see CMS adapt to the city's land use decisions, creating schools where the need exists.
But, LaCaria said, anticipating growth is not enough to take action.
CMS has to figure out how it will pay for the new schools at a time when several campuses are already overcrowded or in need of repair.
“We need all the help we can get with trying to address the conditions that get created … especially when we're not in control of our own, sort of, resources," LaCaria said.
The district is seeking $2.5 billion from voters to help with about 30 construction projects, including improving, replacing, or creating new schools.
“So, we can replace an older school that has these degraded conditions," LaCaria said.
Discussions will continue with CMS, the school board, and full council in the weeks ahead to determine a best path forward.
"The growth of Charlotte or the growth of Mecklenburg County affects how CMS has funds allocated and how they use those funds," Mayor Pro Tem Braxton Winston said, "but the impact on our school system certainly affects the future growth of Charlotte.”