STEELE CREEK NEWS

Here's Your Opportunity to Support a New Elementary School!

(March 26,  2004) Families Leading Advocacy for Mecklenburg Education -- or FLAME -- is an advocacy group concerned with the growth occurring in southwest Mecklenburg County and its impact on school utilization. They want their Steele Creek neighbors to know about an opportunity to show support for construction of a new school near Winget Park. Here's what they have to say:

The CMS Bond Oversight Committee (BOC) is holding public hearings seeking citizen input about reprioritizing CMS construction projects. This includes a proposed new elementary school adjacent to Winget Park, which would relieve the significant overcrowding at Lake Wylie and Steele Creek Elementary Schools. Because of citizen advocacy in this community, this school has risen in the prioritization, becoming a real possibility where previously it was not even under near term consideration.

Three meetings have been scheduled:

• Thursday, April 1 – 7 p.m. at Vance High School
• Tuesday, April 6 – 7 p.m. at South Mecklenburg High
• Thursday, April 8 – 7 p.m. at Phillip O. Berry Academy

An overwhelming turnout will drive home our concern to the BOC and the Board of Education. Simply stated, if the money is not spent here for a new school, it will go to build a school somewhere else.

Show up and let the BOC and the Board of Education know our concerns regarding the adverse impact of school overcrowding in our community. Not everyone has to speak – you can show your support just by coming to the hearing. Let our turnout speak for us.

Residents of the community will be attending the April 6 meeting at South Mecklenburg to express their support for this reprioritization. If you are concerned about these issues, this is your opportunity to effect change.

A group will leave the Lake Wylie parking lot at 6:30 p.m. to go to South Mecklenburg, or you can meet us there. Please consider attending and share this information with friends and neighbors in the area who share our concern.

For more information, visit the FLAME web site or contact Michael Murdock by e-mail at mike.murdock@swmeckflame.org.

For more information on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' long range plans, see the following story: CMS Plans 5 New Schools for Steele Creek by 2014.