Mecklenburg County commissioners gave mixed reviews to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ yearly budget request Wednesday, with some saying the district’s plan doesn’t do enough for kids in classrooms. Others pointed the blame for funding issues at the state.

Superintendent Crystal Hill and other district leadership presented the request to commissioners Tuesday at a meeting one week ahead of when the board hears the proposal for all departments and agencies funded by the county. The yearly request frequently produces tense conversations about how much the county is willing to fund.

CMS board members unanimously approved Hill’s 2024-25 budget April 30. The $2.1 billion plan calls for about $653 million in funding from the county, up about $56 million from this year’s allocation of $597 million. The district attributed much of its request to recurring needs, such as teacher pay supplements and day-to-day operations.

Hill said previously she was “very confident” the county would fully fund the district’s request.

“There is nothing on our list that we’re taking to the county that we don’t think is absolutely critical,” she said after her board approved her plan, adding that a “no” from the county would force CMS to “make some really hard decisions.”

But some commissioners questioned why Hill’s increased request — which focused largely on raising teacher pay and maintenance needs — didn’t include more money aimed directly at students.

“I think this is perhaps the worst budget that I have seen in 30 years from CMS as it relates to student achievement,” said Commissioner Arthur Griffin, a former school board chairman.

Hill pushed back on that assertion, noting funding from other sources within the district’s budget will go toward a variety of initiatives and pointing to recent improvements in test scores.

Other commissioners said any blame for funding gaps in the district’s plan falls on state legislators rather than CMS.

“The thing that really scares me is that we have a state that keeps trying to cripple public education,” Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell said.

Does CMS funding request do enough for kids?

Griffin called the district’s budget request “problematic” because it doesn’t allocate more money to efforts such as literacy and making sure high school graduates are prepared to enter college, the workforce or the military.

“This appears to be a ‘people and things’ budget, but very light in terms of actual academic excellence,” he said.

Commissioner Pat Cotham agreed with Griffin, saying parts of Hill’s presentation “hit me in the gut.”

“I’m not surprised, I’m sad,” she said.

Cotham said she wanted bigger raises, more efforts to improve outcomes in schools in traditionally underserved parts of Charlotte and more conversations with commissioners. In a follow-up email to the Observer, Cotham clarified that she wanted to see bigger raises for the district’s “lowest paid staff,” though she is “not opposed” to higher pay for teachers.

Hill pushed back on some of those claims, noting the district held a meeting with the county in February. She argued that attracting better teachers with higher pay and well-maintained facilities will positively affect student achievement.

“We classify it as the best budget that we’ve brought forward,” Hill said, adding that the district’s plan includes spending on some of what commissioners referenced. CMS said previously they’re grappling with a “COVID cliff” as millions in pandemic relief dollars go away.

Commissioner Laura Meier agreed with Hill’s assessment, calling the presentation “wonderful.” Meier pointed to the district’s latest test scores as a sign that CMS is moving in the right direction.

“Since I’ve been on this board, all I’ve heard is, ‘Numbers don’t lie, and we need to see numbers going up’,” she said. “... Now they’re going up, and I think that’s good news.”

Are state funding decisions hurting CMS?

Rodriguez-McDowell said the county is on the hook for so much funding for supplemental teacher pay because the state is short-changing the county.

In North Carolina, the state determines standardized teacher salaries, but it does not fully fund every teacher salary. Hill noted that CMS is one of just four out of North Carolina’s 115 school districts that doesn’t get money for supplemental teacher pay from the state.

“These numbers don’t scare me, because I think that we’ve got to invest in our students and our educators. I just don’t see a choice in it,” Rodriguez-McDowell said of the district’s request. “... It’s up to us to bridge that gap. I’m pissed about it. I don’t want to bridge the gap from the state.”

Commissioner Elaine Powell agreed with Rodriguez-McDowell that “there are multiple ways that the state is crippling large counties from having the funding necessary” to operate school districts.

“The burden falls onto us, and it is difficult to meet the needs. It’s a hard situation to be in for us,” she said.

‘How do we make the numbers work?’

Commissioner Leigh Altman said the county’s devotion to public schools is evident in its past willingness to fully grant funding requests. But she added it will be difficult for the board to manage the latest ask with other needs and keep tax rates reasonable.

“Really my only concern is, how do we make the numbers work?” she said. “... The problem is we have an A to Z menu of things that we and only we are responsible for delivering to the community, and the more we give to CMS is something we’ve got to cut from something else.”

Altman said she hopes the community will turn out to commission meetings in the coming weeks to give their thoughts on the budget.

“Let us know: how do you want us to balance the percentage of your tax dollars across all of the services?” she said.

Vice Chairman Mark Jerrell said Altman made “a really important point” about balancing priorities.

“I am proud of the fact that this board has supported public education the way that we have, and I feel confident that we’ll find a way to support this community and make sure that we’re all marching together to meet the needs of the community,” he said.

County Manager Dena Diorio will present her recommended county budget to the County Commission next week. She did not address the CMS funding request during Wednesday’s meeting.

Observer reporter Rebecca Noel contributed to the reporting of this story.

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