$922M School Bond Referendum Passes: What's Next

CHARLOTTE, NC -- On Election Day, Mecklenburg County voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum calling for $922 million in school bonds that school officials say will pay for capital projects aimed at overcrowding in Charlotte-area schools.

According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, 78 percent of Charlotte-area schools are at or over capacity. The bond package is earmarked to pay for 17 new schools, as well as renovations and expansion at about a dozen Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

The measure passed with the support of 72.69 percent of voters, with 105,407 voters chose "yes" and 39,600 choose "no," according to official election results. The bond request was but on the Nov. 7 ballot by Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners in an attempt to help defray what Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials say is an estimated $2 billion in capital needs projected in the district over the next decade. According to Commissioners, no tax increases will occur in order to pay for the bonds.

Now that the bond request has passed, what happens next? School officials say the projects will begin construction next summer, and will relieve overcrowding at 20 schools and add 1,250 new or renovated classrooms for more than 20,000 students.

"We are very grateful to the citizens of Mecklenburg County for the support given to our kids," Dr. Clayton Wilcox, superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, said in a statement. "The approval of the bond request means we can begin improving schools and creating better opportunities for our students and teachers – and we're ready to go to work."

A full list of all CMS projects covered by the bond may be found here.

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