Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) is located in the Charlotte, North Carolina region and provides academic instruction, rigor and support each school day to more than 141,100 students in kindergarten through 12th grade in 159 schools throughout the cities and towns of Mecklenburg County. CMS believes setting high standards for all students creates a greater opportunity for future success – in our communities, within the region and across our diverse and global society. Each day, CMS students are prepared to be leaders in a technologically savvy and globally competitive world. 

CMS is proud of its diverse mix of students who represent 160 different countries and various cultural and ethnic backgrounds. CMS offers an extensive range of magnet programs in 40 of its schools to nurture the talents of students who have interest and ability in specific areas. CMS also educates, supports and meets the needs of students with learning and physical disabilities.

CMS is one of the largest employers in Mecklenburg County with approximately 18,800 teachers, support staff and administrators. CMS is fortunate to have tremendous support from Charlotte’s corporate, faith and business communities and more than 43,000 mentors and volunteers that support learning and instruction in CMS classrooms.  

The public school system in Charlotte-Mecklenburg has a rich and intricate history. Built upon the efforts of many individuals who firmly believed in the importance of education to this community, public schools in this area have had a tremendous impact on the growth and economy of the region – as well as the thousands of individuals it has served. Dr. Peter C. Gorman, an educator with more than two decades of experience, has been the district’s superintendent since July 2006.

Vision and Mission

Vision: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools provides all students the best education available anywhere, preparing every child to lead a rich and productive life.

Mission:  The mission of CMS is to maximize academic achievement by every student in every school.

The Early Years

The public school system officially began in Charlotte in 1882 when T.J. Mitchell was chosen as the first superintendent of the segregated city school system. The system’s first school, known as the South School, was located on the corner of East Morehead Street and South Boulevard in the barracks of the Carolina Military Institute. The first school for African-American children was organized in 1882 and was known as Myers Street School.

From 1886 to 1888, Professor J.T. Corlew, who formerly was a principal in Charlotte, served as the second superintendent of the city school system.

From 1888 until 1913, Dr. Alexander Graham served as superintendent of what had become known as the “largest public school system south of Baltimore.” Referred to as the father of graded schools in North Carolina, Graham developed a co-ed school, dropped Latin and Greek, and added drawing and music to the curriculum. He opened the system’s second school for white students in 1900 known as the North School, which served students to the 10th grade. The school, which was referred to as the finest school building in North Carolina, was developed from the plans for a hospital in Texas. Today, First Ward Accelerated Learning Academy stands on this same site.

1907 was the year of expansion for the city school system with limits extending to include several county schools into the city system. Some of the schools included Dilworth School, Seversville School, Elizabeth Mill School, Belmont School, and Biddleville School.

From 1913 to 1923, school construction continued under the supervision of a new Superintendent, Harry Harding. In 1920, Alexander Graham High School was built and three years later Central High School was established. With the building of a new high school, Alexander Graham School became the state’s first junior high school. In 1925, 12th grade was added to the graded school system.

During the Depression, the school system experienced great difficulty with a budget cut of 61% and elimination of the 12th grade in 1934. A number of positions were also cut during this time. In 1935, 12th grade was reinstituted.

City and County School Consolidation

The county school system, which had previously been led primarily by committees with autonomy given at the school level, would soon experience great change. In the mid 1800’s, there were more than 80 schools in the county enrolling over 3,500 students. Gradually, after the turn of the century, the one-room and two-room schools were consolidated.

From 1944 to 1960, J.W. Wilson served as superintendent of the county school system and worked hard to consolidate many of the schools in the county system. Under his supervision, East, West, North and South High Schools were established. In 1944, 14 Mecklenburg County school districts consolidated.

In 1949, Dr. Elmer Garinger was chosen as superintendent of the city schools and would lead the way for the new consolidated system from 1960-1962.

In 1949, the Institute of Government (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) recommended the consolidation of the Charlotte City Schools and Mecklenburg County, which they felt would result in several advantages, most notably equal educational opportunities for all children.

The Charlotte Chamber of Commerce recommended a study committee to look at extending the city limits and consolidating the two school systems. Under the leadership of Richard Thigpen, the study committee and the Chamber of Commerce concluded that the best solution for local school problems would be to consolidate. Oliver Rowe, a well-known civic leader, was instrumental in getting the public to vote for the consolidation by making numerous presentations and speeches throughout the county.

On January 13, 1958, the Chamber committee’s final report requested that the city and county boards of education procure the enactment of appropriate legislation by the 1959 General Assembly that would make consolidation possible.

On June 30, 1959, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System was born when residents of Charlotte and Mecklenburg Counties voted 2 to 1 in favor of consolidating the two school systems. The voters also approved levying a 50 cent school tax in order to serve the children of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. On July 1, 1960, after more than eleven years of discussion and study, the two largest school systems in North Carolina, the Charlotte City Schools and Mecklenburg County Schools were merged and consolidated to form the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System.

Dr. Elmer Garinger (the city superintendent) was appointed as superintendent of the consolidated system and J.W. Wilson (the county superintendent) was appointed deputy superintendent by the consolidated Board of Education chaired by Dr. Herbert Spaugh.

One year later, Dr. Garinger announced his retirement and a search committee was formed to find his successor. Dr. A. Craig Phillips, superintendent of the Winston-Salem School System, was appointed as the new superintendent for Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Under his leadership, the system developed a uniform curriculum program and personnel policies.

A major issue addressed through the consolidation was the adoption of a reading program. Formerly, the city school system had used a conventional phonics program while the county had created a reading program specifically for the system. Once again, the consolidated system came to an agreement to develop a comprehensive reading program for the merged system.

Desegregation

On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in the Case of Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, that the “separate but equal” doctrine, which had been in effect since 1896, was unconstitutional. The Court also declared that separate schools were “inherently unequal” and that schools must desegregate with “all deliberate speed.”

During that time, Charlotte was very much a segregated city with black and white schools within the consolidated system. There were no integrated hotels, restaurants, restrooms, churches, cemeteries, or theaters.

For three years following the Brown decision, the school system made no move to implement the law. There was no real pressure from the community and the prevailing attitude was just to wait and see. It wasn’t until 1957 that any move was made on the part of black citizens to take advantage of the now legal right to attend all white schools.

Four black students entered previously all white schools in 1957 – Delores Huntley attended Alexander Graham Junior High School for one year; Girvaud Roberts attended Piedmont Junior High School for two years; and Gus Roberts graduated from Central High School in 1959. Across town at Harding High School, now the location of Irwin Avenue Elementary, the school’s first black student, Dorothy Counts, attempted to enroll but her attendance received much controversy. A picture of Counts wearing a crisp, plaid dress made by her grandmother and surrounded by an angry, jeering mob was seen in newspapers throughout the Southeast. Despite the response to Counts, Charlotte received national attention for desegregating schools with relative ease. Gus Roberts’ graduation from the formerly all white Central High School was not met without some criticism, but principal Ed Sanders and other staff stood strong behind Gus and worked hard to keep order within the school.

Although the desegregation issue appeared to be a major concern for the community, an underlying problem weighed just as heavy. There continued to be great disparities between the city and county schools, and consolidation of the two systems had created massive “white flight” to the developing suburban areas of the county as a means of avoiding desegregation.

Ten years after the Brown vs. The Board of Education decision, segregation was still a reality in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. In 1964, the system had 88 single race schools – 57 white and 31 black. In 1965, Charlotte experienced one of the most famous court cases in the history of the county – Swann vs. the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education.

The court case centered on Rev. Darius Swann and his wife, Vera, who had been missionaries in India and had returned to Charlotte. The Swann’s son, James, had been a part of integrated schools in India, and his family strongly valued the integrated experience. The school closest to the Swann’s home in Charlotte was Seversville, a school with 297 white students and 26 black students. After James’ first day at Seversville he was told that he was at the wrong school and that he should be assigned to Biddleville, an all-black school. Rev. Swann explained that children were able to “transfer out of integrated schools, but not allowed to transfer into them, and that the law should be equally binding…otherwise the law is discriminatory.”

After discussing the issue with Superintendent Craig Phillips, the matter was brought before the Board of Education, and their request was denied. On January 19, 1965, the Swann family along with nine other families joined attorney Julius Chambers in a court case against the system. The Swanns got immediate results, and their children were enrolled in Eastover Elementary, which they attended for two years before leaving Charlotte.

The suit, however, was not dependent on the Swanns and had at this time taken on a life of its own. The suit alleged:

• Some dual school zones remained in operation, black and white school districts side by side,
• Compounding the problem, the school board permitted transfers out of integrated schools, but discouraged transfers into the schools,
• And most school faculties were completely segregated.

On July 12, 1965, the court case was heard before Judge Braxton Craven. Judge Craven ruled in favor of the school board saying that they had shown clear intent and had made steady progress toward ending a policy of segregated schools. This conclusion was reached despite the fact that out of 23,000 black students, only 2,126 attended school with whites. At that time, 66 of Charlotte’s 109 schools were entirely segregated. In the court case, Judge Craven did order immediate desegregation of staff and faculty.

Attorney Chambers could not accept that an integrated system existed and the next day he filed an appeal charging Judge Craven’s decision was “patently erroneous.” On October 24, 1966, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Judge Craven’s verdict.

Two years later, another decision was handed down by the Supreme Court involving a Virginia case – Green vs. New Kent County. The county had two high schools – one black and one white; however, it did not have residential segregation. When the case reached the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the ruling handed down was that freedom of choice was a sufficient remedy, but the case was taken to the Supreme Court where the ruling was reversed. Kent County had an obligation to eliminate the historic patterns of segregation.

Attorney Chambers saw this decision as an opportunity to reopen the Swann Case. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools were basically segregated. The case alleged:

• Continued segregation was harmful to children, reflecting itself in the test scores of black schools where students started out below grade level
• The school system’s plan for geographic student assignments perpetuated the segregation issue with the location of new school facilities, the additions to existing facilities, and the school boundary lines established for new facilities.

According to Chambers, the decisions made by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education did not meet the “affirmative duty” standards of New Kent County.

The Swann case reopened on March 17, 1969 and on April 23, Federal Judge James B. McMillan declared that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools were not yet desegregated. According to Judge McMillan, “approximately 14,000 of the 24,000 black students still attended schools that were all black or heavily black, and most of the system’s 24,000 teachers were white.”

McMillan directed the Board to submit by May 15, 1969, a positive plan for effective desegregation to be completed by the fall of 1970. McMillan’s decision stated, “the Board is free to consider all known ways of desegregation, including busing.”

After several plans were developed by the Board that did not strongly impact the segregation issue, Judge McMillan appointed Dr. John Finger of Rhode Island to prepare a plan for total integration. The plan, which was submitted to Judge McMillan in open court as the Finger plan, was received and ordered for implementation. The school board appealed the order, and the Fourth Circuit Court directed McMillan to hold new hearings and apply the “test of reasonableness” to the extensive busing of elementary students. Plaintiffs appealed and McMillan held the hearings. On August 7, 1970, he ruled that the February decision had been reasonable and ordered it reinstated when school opened in September. The school board requested a stay on the implementation, but was told their request would be heard in October. Until that time, the board was to obey the District Court. In 1971, the ruling that was handed down by the Supreme Court affirmed Judge McMillan’s order.

On September 9, 1970, 525 buses (191 more than the year before) rolled.

During the time of the court case, a shift in superintendents occurred. After five years as superintendent, Dr. Philips had worked tirelessly to consummate the consolidation of the school system and resigned on June 30, 1967 to accept a new position. Dr. William Self was named superintendent of the school system and served until 1972.

Following the Supreme Court siding with Judge McMillan’s decision, the Board of Education was mandated to develop an acceptable student assignment plan; however, the judge had to authorize a Citizens Advisory Group headed by Maggie Ray and assisted by Ed Sanders to devise a busing plan the Board would uphold. Under the plan, busing would be distributed as equitably as possible. The Board approved the plan on July 9, 1974 and submitted it to the judge who approved it the next day. In 1975, satisfied that the plan was working, Judge McMillan announced that he was closing the Swann case.

Moving Forward

In 1973, Dr. Roland Jones was hired as superintendent. Dr. Jones was noted for his restructuring of central staff. Under his leadership, principals were empowered to make decisions and lead from the school level. On August 18, 1976, Dr. Jones was dismissed from his position during a Board meeting. An interim management team was selected to lead the system which included Mr. John Phillips, Mrs. Jo Graham Foster, Dr. Chris Folk, and Mrs. Elizabeth Randolph.

In 1977, Dr. Jay Robinson, who came to be one of the state’s top education leaders, was named superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. In his nine years of service to the system, Dr. Robinson was committed to ensuring that CMS become an integrated system, and he worked hard to adequately prepare teachers for the classroom. His Career Development Plan became a well-known professional development program in the state.

In 1986, Dr. Robinson left the system and was appointed to serve as the vice president of the state university system. In 1987, Dr. Peter Relic was named superintendent and served the system for three years. Dr. Relic was known for his rapport with teachers and the support he provided to the classroom.

The school system hired Dr. John Murphy as superintendent in 1991. Under his leadership, the system began focusing on developing World Class Schools and curriculum standards, which showcased what students should know and be able to do.

In 1992, Dr. Murphy began a new magnet school program designed to match students’ interests and learning styles with particular themes. Another purpose of the program was to replace the system’s 22-year-old system of paired schools and cross-town busing to ensure desegregation. The magnet school program was developed to accept students through an application lottery process, with acceptance based on a 60:40 race quota. Prior to the development of the magnet school program, the system had developed the optional schools (known as Irwin Avenue Open, Elizabeth Traditional and Myers Park Traditional) in 1973.

In 1996, Dr. Eric Smith was named superintendent and a strong focus was placed on increasing student achievement, aligning curriculum with the state, and providing rigorous academic courses for all students. Dr. Smith set four goals for the system to be reached by 2001, which focused on academic achievement, safe and orderly environment, community collaboration and efficient and effective support operations.

Student Assignment/Desegregation Revisited

While the system was focused on student achievement, the issue of student assignment resurfaced. In 1997, Charlotte parent Bill Capacchione sued the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system, charging that his daughter was twice denied entrance to a magnet school because she was not black. Swann attorneys announced in October 1997 that they would join the case to fight the Capacchione suit, saying that the school system had not fully desegregated and should not be released from court-ordered desegregation.

In March 1998, U.S. District Judge Robert Potter reactivated the Swann case and consolidated it with Capacchione’s suit. Two months later, six parents joined the case saying that race-based policies influence everything from how students are assigned to where schools are built. The parents argued schools are fully desegregated and continued use of race-based policies is unconstitutional. In July, several African American parents joined the Swann team, seeking to keep the desegregation order in place.

On April 19, 1999, the trial began in federal court, and a ruling was made on September 9 by Judge Robert Potter that the school system must stop using race as a factor in student assignment plans. In October 1999, the school board voted to appeal Judge Potter’s ruling to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va. The board also requested a “stay” that would delay when the new student assignment plan would be implemented. Two members of the Swann team also filed an appeal and a stay request.

In November 1999, Superintendent Eric Smith proposed a new student assignment plan that would send students to schools closer to home and provide families with choice. The assignment plan was developed on the framework of choice zones and offered K-12 stability to families.

In December, the board approved the plan after public hearings, focus groups, and various opportunities for feedback. Two weeks later, the appeals court granted the school district’s request for a delay.

In January 2000, the board voted to delay the new student assignment plan until fall 2001, and the board decided to convene a citizens task force to make recommendations on the new student assignment plan. In April, the board voted to keep the basics of the student assignment plan approved in December, but asked Dr. Smith to make significant changes to it before the final vote.

A plan presented in May received much discussion but was not approved. The board agreed to use mediation to assist the group in deciding on a student assignment plan. After working with two mediators, the board came to consensus on a plan, which was adopted on June 1, 2000. The new student assignment plan focused on the following areas:

• gives families a chance to choose a school close to home
• preserves the integrity of choice
• addresses growth in a reasonable way
• offers stability through K-12 feeder patterns

On June 7, 2000, the Fourth Circuit Court heard both sides of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools desegregation case and a ruling was issued on November 30, 2001. The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that CMS was not unitary in some areas such as facilities, student assignment, student achievement and transportation and sent them back to the lower court for reconsideration. Areas such as faculty, staff, extracurricular activities and student discipline were considered unitary.

On December 1, 2000, the Family Choice Plan was set aside by the Board of Education to conform with the November 30th ruling. Following that decision, the Grant interveners filed a petition asking the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals for a panel rehearing or an “en banc” (full court) review of the November 30th ruling. The full panel agreed to a hearing, which was held on February 27, 2001.

On April 3, 2001, a resolution was presented to the Board of Education, which was based on the framework of the Family Choice Plan adopted by the Board on June 1, 2000 and suspended on December 1, 2000. The resolution, which addresses equity with a focus on providing choice for all students, was approved and provided direction for the district to begin working on a new student assignment plan for the 2002-2003 school year. The new student assignment plan was presented to the Board of Education on June 26, 2001 and in July a new student assignment plan was approved by the Board of Education.

During that time, CMS was fast gaining recognition as an urban school system making tremendous gains in student achievement. Since the arrival of Superintendent Dr. Eric Smith in 1996, student achievement and participation in higher-level courses rose steadily, gaining CMS national attention as one of the top urban school systems in the nation. The National College Board recognized the system’s quality when it chose to award the first Advanced Placement diplomas in the nation to CMS students. In 2001, 46% of all graduates completed at least one AP or IB course – up from 31% in 1996. Test scores continued to rise with 82% of all fifth grade students on grade level in reading in 2000. From 1995 to 2001, the number of African-American students on grade level in reading more than doubled – increasing from 35% to 70%. In the state’s testing program, CMS had no low performing schools in 2001 for the first time in the history of the accountability program.

In October, 2000, Dr. Smith received the Richard R. Green Award from the Council of the Great City Schools, an organization which represents the largest urban school systems in the country. This award is given annually to the top urban educator in the country and honors that individual for their commitment and dedication to student achievement. The district was also recognized by the Council of the Great City Schools in 2001 as one of four top urban school districts for increasing scores in reading and math and closing the achievement gap.

On September 21, 2001, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed an earlier court ruling that CMS has achieved “unitary status.” The Board of Education voted not to take further action . Then in October, 2001, the Grant/Capacchione parties filed a motion to appeal the Fourth Circuit Court’s earlier decision not to require Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to pay the attorney’s fees and the Belk plaintiffs filed a motion to stay the mandate pending their opportunityto seek review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

On December 14, 2001, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Court voted to deny the motions filed by the Grant/Capacchione parties and the Belk plaintiffs. The denial of these motions allowed CMS to continue with the 2002-2003 student assignment plan.

The new family choice plan process launched on December 1, 2001 with a Showcase of Schools. More than 20,000 families attended the event. The application deadline for the new student assignment plan ended on January 18, with more than 105,000 applications returned, an unprecedented number. During the lottery process, more than 110,000 families were assigned to schools in CMS.

On December 18, 2001, the Belk plaintiffs announced their intention to appeal the September 21 decision made by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Court stating that CMS has achieved unitary status. Then on April 15, 2002, the United States Supreme Court announced that they would not hear the petitions filed by the Belk plaintiffs and the Grant/Cappachione parties. This decision let stand the Fourth Circuit Court’s decision on September 21, 2001 that the district had achieved “unitary status.” This decision closed the chapter on the district’s nationally recognized desegregation case.

New Leadership Continues Focus On Excellence, Equity and Beyond

In May, 2002, Superintendent Eric Smith announced his resignation to the Board of Education to accept a position as superintendent in Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Annapolis, Maryland. On May 28, 2002, the Board extended a two-year contract to Dr. James L. Pughsley to serve as superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Prior to this offer, Dr. Pughsley served as Deputy Superintendent and Chief Officer for Administrative Services in CMS for six years. He officially began as superintendent on July 1, 2002.

Under his leadership, Dr. Pughsley committed to continue the focus on academic success for all students and providing rigorous and challenging courses. The district continues to focus on Goals 2005 and the Balanced Scorecard to achieve those goals.

Tremendous academic gains were made during the 2001-2002 school year. The district posted its highest gains ever in the state’s ABCs program, with 44 schools earning either the prestigious “School of Excellence” or “School of Distinction” designation. Eastover Elementary School was recognized by the state as one of the top 25 most improved K-8 schools. The district continued to celebrate outstanding results in higher level courses with more students taking Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses and succeeding in these courses. Enrollment in AP courses increased by 23%, with 10,506 students enrolled in an AP course. 4,354 CMS students took at least one AP exam, an increase of 32% over 2000-01. In addition, 82% of diploma graduates received the IB diploma, with 172 IB diplomas awarded in 2002. More than 50% of the district’s seniors took at least one AP or IB course in 2001-2002.

As a result of that progress, the district was recognized by the Council of the Great City Schools as one of four urban school districts making outstanding gains in student achievement while narrowing the achievement gap. CMS was chronicled in the “Foundations for Success: Case Studies of How Urban School Systems Improve Student Achievement” report. The report highlights CMS as well as Houston Independent School District, Sacramento City Unified School District and Chancellor’s District in New York City for making progress with all students.

On August 19, 2002, CMS opened its doors under a new choice student assignment plan. The plan allowed families to choose a school that best met their child’s educational needs. The district also experienced a record-breaking school opening with the addition of 1.4 million square feet of space to school facilities. Four new schools and five replacement schools opened in the fall.

In June, 2003, Newsweek Magazine ranked four CMS high schools to its Best in the U.S. List and all high schools in the district with a graduating class were ranked in the top 700. The achievement was based on the number of students participating in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses. Myers Park High School ranked 7th in the country. Providence High ranked 48th, and Harding University High ranked 65th. East Mecklenburg High ranked 89th in the country.

In a vote of confidence of the Superintendent's leadership and unyielding attention to academic achievement, the Board voted to extend the contract with Dr. James L. Pughsley as Superintendent of Schools for one year to June 30, 2005.

The 2002-2003 school year was a tremendous year for the district as schools continued to increase student achievement while narrowing the achievement gap. Eighty-two percent of students in grades 3-8 performed on grade level in reading, as compared to seventy-seven percent the previous year. Eighty-eight percent performed on grade level in math, as compared to eighty-two percent the previous year. The percentage of students scoring in the highest achievement level (Level IV) increased in all grade levels in math. SAT scores increased to 1004 and the top ten percent of CMS seniors scored above the top ten percent in the state and nation, with 70% of all seniors taking the SAT. More than 11,000 students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses and 52% of all graduating seniors took at least one Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate course.

The new federal legislation, No Child Left Behind, was implemented and information regarding how schools performed for all groups of students was announced. Under this new program, fifty-one CMS schools made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Fourteen CMS schools missed AYP by one target and 15 schools missed AYP by two targets. Sixty-six CMS schools were named "Schools of Excellence" or "Schools of Distinction" in the North Carolina ABCs testing program. In addition, CMS outperformed the nation in reading and math scores for fourth and eighth grade students in the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP), the "nation's report card."

Although much of the history of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has focused on the issue of student assignment, tremendous progress has been made in student achievement. As the 23rd largest school system in the nation and the largest system in the Carolinas, CMS is offering outstanding academic opportunities for all students.

In April 2005, Dr. James L. Pughsley, who served as superintendent for three years, announced his retirement, effective June 30, 2005. Under his leadership, CMS began a strategic approach to doing business, which has had a noticeable impact on student achievement and closing the achievement gap.

The Open Court reading program, which was adopted under his leadership, helped boost reading scores. The district received numerous accolades and was recognized nationally for strong student achievement. CMS was named a finalist for the Broad Prize for Urban Education, the nation’s largest education prize given to a single school district, during the 2004-05 school year.

In May 2005, the Board of Education voted to hire Dr. Frances Haithcock as interim superintendent for one year, beginning July 1. She previously served as associate superintendent for education services in CMS for five years.

In December 2005, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools earned district-wide accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and Council on Accreditation and School Improvement. CMS became the first large urban school district in the United States and one of only 20 districts of any size nationally to receive the distinction from SACS CASI. It is the largest accrediting agency in the world and one of only six agencies that accredit both public and nonpublic educational institutions.

Dr. Haithcock garnered acclaim for her high school reform efforts. Olympic and Garinger was scheduled to be subdivided into smaller high schools that offer specialized, tightly focused instruction in core areas.

In July 2006, Dr. Peter C. Gorman became CMS superintendent. He is the former superintendent of Tustin Unified School District in Tustin, Calif.

From 1882 until the present, committed educators, parents and community members have helped make Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools great, but the journey is not complete. CMS has much to celebrate and a great need to stay focused and committed to the task of helping all children succeed. The future of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System has been built upon a strong foundation that will carry us far, but the task before us requires that same commitment, dedication and passion that has gone before us. The goal in CMS is to achieve equity, excellence and go beyond what’s been envisioned or dreamed for this district. This is a commitment we all must make!