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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.

Mecklenburg County Commissioner DistrictsSteele 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.

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