Charlotte, January 14, 2026
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education has recognized significant problems with the new online school choice lottery system, Parchment. Technical glitches erroneously classified many students as waitlisted when they were entitled to guaranteed seats, prompting frustration among parents. New board members called for immediate action to improve transparency and communication with families affected by these issues. CMS officials are working to rectify the errors and ensure that existing student placements and sibling guarantees remain intact, as the district seeks to clarify results for impacted families.
Charlotte
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) Board of Education has publicly acknowledged widespread issues with the district’s new school choice lottery system, prompting calls for greater transparency and improved communication with affected families. At the first board meeting of the new year, held this week, several new board members highlighted significant glitches that caused confusion and frustration for parents participating in the lottery for the upcoming 2026-27 school year.
Technical Glitches Cause Confusion
The core of the problem lies with the district’s recently implemented online platform, Parchment, which was intended to streamline the magnet lottery application process. Instead, technical errors within the system led to many students being incorrectly listed as “waitlisted” for their chosen magnet programs, even when they were eligible for a guaranteed seat. This included many students whose siblings already attend a magnet program, a scenario where CMS policy guarantees placement at their siblings’ school. Additionally, students who reapplied for their current magnet programs also experienced similar incorrect waitlist designations.
These technical difficulties emerged soon after lottery results were released, creating immediate concern among parents who took to social media to report discrepancies. Parents reported that children applying to attend the same magnet school as a sibling were shown as waitlisted, despite district policy guaranteeing siblings a spot. The issues arose recently and have resulted in confusion and uncertainty for thousands of families who rely on timely decisions for planning their children’s education.
Board Members Demand Action
Four new board members—Charlitta Hatch, Anna London, Shamaiye Haynes, and Cynthia Stone—were particularly vocal during the recent meeting. London stressed that families deserve transparency that builds trust and reliable systems that function well, especially during challenging times. Hatch underscored the deeply personal nature of the lottery process and the stress and uncertainty it creates when expectations are not met. She urged the board to be courageous, acknowledge mistakes, and focus on improving systems rather than defending them, stating that “children cannot wait for adults to get comfortable.” Haynes also emphasized the importance of ensuring the success of children in CMS, with parent satisfaction as a key goal.
CMS officials have confirmed that the issue stems from how the new Parchment system processes applications. It reportedly processes all applications through the lottery and does not recognize which students already hold a magnet seat. This oversight led to incorrect waitlist statuses. Despite the initial confusion, the district maintains that existing student placements are not affected, and guarantees for siblings remain in place and have not changed.
Addressing Parent Concerns and Future Steps
The district is actively working to clarify the results for families impacted by these system errors. CMS officials have stated they are working to clarify results for families impacted by the system error. Affected families are advised to monitor official communication channels for updates regarding the release of accurate magnet lottery results. The widespread frustration and calls for improved communication highlight the need for robust and dependable administrative systems within the school district to manage critical processes like student assignments effectively.
Background on CMS School Choice Lottery
The CMS School Choice Lottery allows families to enroll children in magnet programs outside their assigned neighborhood schools. These programs are highly sought after due to their specialized curricula, which often include focuses such as science, technology, engineering, arts, and world languages, offering diverse educational options across the district. The application window for the 2026-27 school year opened on October 13, 2025, and closed on December 5, 2025. Families can explore different programs and select up to three school choice options when submitting their lottery application. Lottery results are typically released a few weeks after the application window closes.
The lottery process incorporates several key guarantees and priorities to ensure equitable access and support family needs. These include a continuation guarantee, where students already enrolled in a magnet program are guaranteed a seat in the next grade level of that same program, if available. A sibling guarantee provides priority for students applying to join a sibling at a magnet school. Additionally, transportation zone priority gives preference to students who live within the school’s transportation zone. The recent technical issues challenged the perceived reliability of these established guarantees, causing considerable unease within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What is the main issue with the CMS school choice lottery system?
- The primary issue is that the new online platform, Parchment, incorrectly listed many students as “waitlisted” for magnet programs even when they were entitled to a guaranteed seat, such as siblings of current magnet students or those reapplying for their existing programs.
- When were these issues acknowledged by the CMS Board?
- The issues were acknowledged by CMS board members at their first meeting of the new year, held this week, following reports of glitches from the lottery results released last week.
- Who are the new CMS board members who raised concerns?
- New board members Charlitta Hatch, Anna London, Shamaiye Haynes, and Cynthia Stone voiced their concerns and called for improved communication and transparency.
- How is the CMS district addressing the technical problems?
- CMS officials are actively working to clarify results for families affected by the system errors and have stated that existing student placements are not affected, and sibling guarantees remain in place.
- What is the purpose of the CMS School Choice Lottery?
- The CMS School Choice Lottery allows families to enroll their children in specialized magnet programs that offer unique curricula outside of their assigned neighborhood schools.
- What guarantees and priorities are part of the CMS lottery process?
- The CMS lottery includes a continuation guarantee for students already in a magnet program, a sibling guarantee for students applying to join a sibling at the same school, and transportation zone priority for students living within a school’s designated zone.
Key Features of CMS School Choice Lottery
| Feature | Description | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Allows families to enroll children in specialized magnet programs outside assigned neighborhood schools. | Local (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools) |
| Application Platform | New online system named Parchment. | Local (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools) |
| Application Period (2026-27) | Typically from October to December (specifically Oct 13 – Dec 5 for 2026-27). | Local (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools) |
| Application Options | Families can apply for up to three school choice options. | Local (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools) |
| Continuation Guarantee | Students currently in a magnet program are guaranteed a seat in the next grade level of that same program, if available. | Local (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools) |
| Sibling Guarantee | Students applying to join a sibling at a magnet school are given priority for a seat. | Local (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools) |
| Transportation Zone Priority | Students living within the school’s transportation zone have priority. | Local (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools) |
| Recent Issues | Technical glitches incorrectly waitlisted students with guaranteed seats. | Local (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools) |
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