News Summary
Superintendent Crystal Hill has proposed two zoning options for the new Park Road Elementary School, opening in 2026. The plans address community concerns from previous reassignment proposals while aiming to manage overcrowding at nearby schools. The board will hold a public hearing and vote on the final decision later this month.
Charlotte – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Crystal Hill has proposed two zoning options for the new Park Road Elementary School, set to open in August 2026. The school will be constructed on the former site of Park Road Montessori, adding 45 classrooms to the district’s elementary education facilities.
This zoning proposal follows a controversial initial reassignment plan that was introduced last fall. The original plan sought to relocate approximately 100 elementary students from Marie G. Davis School in southwest Charlotte to the already overcrowded Dilworth Elementary. This move faced substantial backlash from parents and community members, necessitating a revision to address their concerns.
According to the new proposal, all students currently attending Dilworth Elementary and Marie G. Davis K-5 will transition to the new Park Road campus upon its completion. Superintendent Hill has recommended postponing the reassignment of students from Marie G. Davis until the Park Road facility is fully operational in 2026, demonstrating a responsiveness to community feedback.
Hill’s first zoning option entails relocating students zoned to both Dilworth Elementary and Marie G. Davis to the new Park Road campus, while leaving students from Selwyn Elementary School untouched by these changes. Students attending Dilworth Elementary and Marie G. Davis out-of-zone would be reassigned to their designated home schools. Additionally, the feeder patterns for the schools will remain unchanged.
The new Park Road campus is anticipated to open at approximately 85% capacity and is projected to increase to 87% capacity within five years. Students in sixth through eighth grades currently zoned to Marie G. Davis will move to Sedgefield Middle School as part of these adjustments.
The second zoning option presented is similar to the first; however, it includes the reassignment of around 98 students from Selwyn Elementary to the Park Road campus, affecting those on the western fringe of the school’s attendance boundary. This option would significantly alleviate the overcrowding at Selwyn Elementary, potentially reducing its capacity from 97% to 83%. However, accommodating these students would limit the projected growth of the Park Road campus to 97% capacity after five years.
A public hearing on the proposed zoning options will take place at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education meeting on June 5. The board is set to vote on the final zoning decision on June 26.
The construction of the new Park Road Elementary School is part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ extensive $2.5 billion bond referendum that was approved by voters in November 2023. This referendum will facilitate 30 construction projects throughout the district, aiming to enhance educational facilities and better serve the community.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools remains committed to providing quality education to its students, and addressing enrollment capacity challenges is a critical component of that objective. As the community prepares for the opening of the new Park Road campus, the district is focusing on making decisions that prioritize the best interests of students and families in the area.
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Additional Resources
- Charlotte Observer
- Wikipedia: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
- WCNC
- Google Search: Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools zoning proposal
- Qcity Metro
- Google Scholar: Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
- WSOC TV
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
- Charlotte Observer
- Google News: Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
