CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There are big plans ahead for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district after Mecklenburg County voters approved a historic school bond of $2.5 billion.
CMS says the $2.5 billion will be distributed in chunks from the county, and they’re estimating the projects will be completed within the next five to seven years.
"We are getting ready to press go," said Dennis LaCaria, the executive director of facilities and planning for CMS.
LaCaria said one of the first projects they're planning to tackle is building a new middle school to help with capacity issues at Quail Hollow and South Charlotte Middle School.
"The new middle school down south will be one of the first projects because there are projects after that that are dependent on it," said LaCaria.
Margaret Marshall, a former CMS board member, said that all scheduling has to be tied to the first day of school.
"You don't want to start a project and finish it and have it sit there for six months because the students can't enter it then or six months delayed," said Marshall.
Marshall added that, along with timing, there are many other factors that go into constructing each project.
"They're looking at their debt ratios, their cash flows, and trying to figure out will this be the year to start."
LaCaria said the goal is to make sure the design permitting and construction time for each project line up.
According to CMS, the projects will take up to seven years to complete, but they're optimistic that these projects will benefit both teachers and students for years to come.
"I think that there's been a lot of care and planning put into the projects, and think that will certainly help us accomplish all those goals at the back end," said LaCaria.
CMS also said that they're wrapping up the projects from the 2017 bond.
There are only five projects remaining, with three of them projected to be completed by the fall of 2024.
Contact Tradesha Woodard at twoodard1@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.