STEELE CREEK NEWS
Peter Gorman
Encourages Steele Creek Residents to Speak Out
(October 1, 2006)
Several members of the Steele Creek Residents Association met with
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Dr. Peter Gorman on
September 29 to discuss issues involving schools in Steele Creek,
including growth and the positive turnaround at Olympic High School.
Dr. Gorman plans to
present his plan for school construction and renovations to the
Board of Education at its November 14th meeting. In the past, expenditures
have been about 60-65% new construction and 35-40% renovations. His
plan will put a higher priority on new construction to help
alleviate the backlog for needed schools.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
is gaining 4,500 or more new students each year. To meet that need,
the school system needs to add two elementary, one middle, and one
high school each year.
Following his
presentation of the plan to the School Board, there will be a series
of six public meetings, one in each board district. Steele Creek is in
District 2, which is represented by
Vilma Leake.
See Map. Opinions expressed at these public meetings will be
considered when the Board reviews the plan in January and adopts a
final plan in February. The plan will include proposals for a bond
referendum in November 2007.
He encouraged
supporters of Steele Creek schools to be proactive and attend all
the meetings so that our community will be known.
The population of
Steele Creek has increased by about 80% since 2000 according to
Charlotte's Neighborhood
Quality of Life Study, Steele Creek Elementary School is the
most crowded school in the area with enrollment at about twice its
capacity. Relief was expected to happen in 2009 when a new
elementary school in the Berewick community was scheduled to open.
When the school bond failed last fall, the funding source for that
school's construction dried up.
Last year Lake Wylie
Elementary School was at 200% capacity. The opening of the new
Winget Park Elementary School last fall provided relief for Lake
Wylie, but with new housing continuing to be built in Steele Creek,
expect the trailers to start rolling in any time.
Contact Vilma Leake
at
Vilma.Leake@cms.k12.nc.us. Contact information for the
remaining School Board members is on the
Board of Education Home Page.
Map created
from
Mecklenburg County, NC E-Mapper.
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