MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district continues its push to convince taxpayers to fund the largest bond package in North Carolina school history. The $2.5 billion bond, on the November ballot, would fund 30 different CMS projects.
CMS's last bond to pass was approved for $922 million and it funded 29 projects. Of the 29 projects, 24 are already complete, three are still under construction and two are still in the design phase.
One of the projects still under construction is the South County Relief High School. The new high school is being built on 12218 North Community House Road in order to relieve overcrowding at Ardrey Kell, Myers Park, and South Meck. The school is scheduled to open in the 2024-25 school year.
The construction management company in charge of the project is Messer Construction Company.
“In 2014, I believe was the first project and we've been pretty much doing a job almost every year with them since then," Christopher Malinowski, Messer Construction Company's vice president and Charlotte region leader, said.
Messer Construction and others like it have helped CMS meet its goals of getting more work to minority, women, and small-owned businesses.
"We put a lot of focus into organizations like Metrolina Minority Contractors Association, and the Hispanic Contractors Association," Malinowski said.
The company just won the Minority Enterprise Development's "Workforce Development Champion of the Year Award" and is the recipient of multiple other diversity-driven awards in the region.
"Over $236 million we spent with certified minority, women-owned, veteran businesses," Malinowski said. "So very excited about that, we beat our goal."
One of the founding principles of the company is making sure its contractors and sub-contractors put on projects are reflective of the community.
"This is not a handout," Malinowski said. "I mean that these are companies that are building their businesses, are performing services. And you know, we're hiring them because they are good quality firms."
CMS said it spent $120.3 million with minority, women and small business-owned firms in the last fiscal year. In addition, almost half of the district’s construction spending in 2022-2023, 44.2%, was with MSWBE firms.
CMS Board Member Lenora Shipp said the district's commitment to these communities are rooted in its core values for students.
"We have a goal for equity, right?" Shipp said. "And this is all about equity, all about people seeing themselves and what we do and how we shape the lives of our students and the school system does that."
The CMS Board of Education was one of three recipients of the Minority Enterprise Development's 2023 "Charlotte Trail Blazer Award" for its mentorship, advocacy, and championship of minority, women, and small businesses. Thirty years ago, the CMS board created the first MWBE position to remove barriers and provide equitable access to opportunities.
The upcoming bond campaign for $2.5 billion gives the district the opportunity to expand the work in diverse communities.
READ MORE: Breaking down the $2.5B CMS bond referendum
"When we built the West Charlotte... the HVAC system was put in by an African American-owned large mechanical contractor," Chiquitha Lloyd, CMS' director of diversity, equity & inclusion, said. "One of the students, a West Charlotte graduate, actually helped install the HVAC system."
If the upcoming bond passes, CMS anticipates spending at least $750 million with MSWBE firms. The district bases this off the millions spent from the 2017 bond passed worth a little under a billion dollars.
"Over $450 million of that went back to our diverse suppliers," Lloyd said. "That's economic impact. Those are jobs that were created right here in our community."
Contact Shamarria Morrison at smorrison@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.