Matthews-Mint Hill

Other helping hands ...

Independence High School students recently raised $3,500 for Haiti relief through “Bosco’s Bistro,” a spaghetti dinner. A ceremonial check was presented to the American Red Cross by school Principal Mark Bosco.

Butler High School students raised $2,595 for the American Red Cross’ Haiti relief efforts during a recent week-long collection.

Budget woes present major decisions for CMS

Financial cuts, layoffs loom in every projected scenario

Regardless of what financial scenario plays out, budget cuts and layoffs loom for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Under the best case presented to Board of Education members Feb. 17, CMS would cut 124 positions. The worst? Job losses for 879 people, including 658 teachers, with a one-year delay on the opening of both Mint Hill’s Rocky River and Cornelius’ William Hough High.

Student-assignment lottery deadline approaching

CHARLOTTE – The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ student-assignment lottery application closes Monday, Feb. 8. The online lottery will remain open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day through Feb. 7.

School district institutes hiring freeze

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has announced a hiring freeze on all open non-instructional positions.

Superintendent Peter Gorman informed district employees in an e-mail Wednesday, Jan. 27. The freeze applies to personnel who do not work in classrooms, except positions funded through grants like Title I, After-School Enrichment Program and Child Nutrition Enterprise Funding.

Helping Haiti

Covenant Day School trip canceled, local fundraising in full swing

Tyler Andrews should be packing for a mission trip to Haiti.

The Covenant Day School senior is one of 23 students at the Matthews school who were planning to spend a week there next month.
Their trip has been postponed because of the Jan. 12 earthquake, but the students now are only more eager to go, High School Principal Scott Dillon said. And Andrews is seeking his family’s permission to donate the $2,000 they gave him for the journey, he said.

Tough talk

Budget rears its ugly head, leaving CMS board members revisiting difficult decisions

The atmosphere was somber at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education’s Jan. 12 meeting, as board members began to address a controversial subject, the budget. ­Budget consultant Jonathan Travers told the board that because of continuing economic strain, additional teacher layoffs could be inevitable for the 2010-11 school year. The dire-straits sentiment was echoed by Superintendent Peter Gorman, who said the budget “isn’t pretty.”