|
|
STEELE CREEK NEWS
Contact County
Commissioners to Encourage Support for School Bonds
(June
9,
2017) On June 20, the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners will
vote on whether to send a school bond issue to the voters in
November. The proposed bond includes funding for a new high school
to relieve Olympic and other Steele Creek area projects.
Opposition to the
bond exists on the Board, and it is not certain that they will
approve the bond. If you support a new high school and other
projects, please contact the commissioners to encourage their vote
in favor of the bond.
Steele Creek is split
by Districts 2 (represented by Vilma Leake) and 6 (represented by
Bill James) (see map on the right), but support by other district and
at-large representatives is needed. Please use the following
information to call or email the commissioners to encourage support
for the bonds:
Ella B. Scarborough,
Chair, At-Large 980-314-2879
Ella.Scarborough@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov
Trevor Fuller,
At-Large 704-336-2472
Trevor.Fuller@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov
Pat Cotham, At-Large 704-336-2472
Patricia.Cotham@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov
Jim Puckett, Vice
Chairman, District 1 980-314-2876
jim.puckett@mecklenburgcountync.gov
Vilma Leake, District 2
704-336-2472
Vilma.Leake@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov
George Dunlap, District 3 704-336-2472
George.Dunlap@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov
Dumont Clarke, District
4 704-996-6126
Dumont.Clarke@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov
Matthew Ridenhour, District 5 704-336-2472
Matthew.Ridenhour@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov
Bill James,
District 6 704-336-2472
wjames@carolina.rr.com.
Olympic High School
is at 157% capacity and has 32 trailers. Additionally, Steele Creek
is one of the fastest growing areas of the county, so overcrowding
will only get worse. Relief is badly needed, but Olympic is over 50
years old and still has needs as well. Any initiatives on school
improvements need to
address the needs of all students in the Olympic attendance area,
including those who will continue to attend Olympic.
Proposed projects in
the 2017 bond include the following:
Project Type |
Description |
Estimated Cost |
New Construction |
New high school to relieve Olympic
High |
$109,908,793 |
Sustainment |
Phase One Career and Technical
Education Upgrades - Olympic, Harding, Garinger, and South
Mecklenburg High Schools |
$10,101,734 |
New Construction |
New elementary school to relieve
Nations Ford, Sterling, and Steele Creek Elementary Schools |
$29,173,829 |
Area residents have
formed a committee headed by educatior Dr. Willie Gilchrist. For
more information on their efforts and additional information on the
bonds, see the Facebook group page for
SW Meck for Better Schools.
Once the County Commission approves the bonds, they must be approved by county voters in November.
Additional efforts to secure support for the bond referendum will be
needed this fall.
Mary McCray, Chairperson of the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board, said at a commuity meeting this
week that the CMS Board was committed to relief high schools, so if
the bonds are approved construction of an Olympic relief school
should be a priority.
To comment on
this story, please visit the
Steele Creek Forum or the
Steele Creek Residents Association Facebook Page.
Click here:
to share this story to your Facebook page,
or click below to visit the Steele Creek Residents Association
Facebook page.
.
|