Superintendent recommends Option 1 for Old Park Road elementary boundary; public hearing scheduled June 5

At the May 13 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Dr. Hill recommended the board adopt boundary "Option 1" for the new elementary school planned for the Old Park Road site, a recommendation based on consultant analysis and community feedback.

Consultant Matthew Cropper of Cropper GIS Consulting presented two boundary options and said the district was guided by board policy S-ASGP and typical redistricting criteria: balance enrollment, minimize neighborhood splits, align feeder patterns where reasonable and plan for enrollment growth. Cropper said of Option 1: "This option has the smallest impact on students and families;" it would move boundary students from Dilworth and Marie G. Davis to the new school with an estimated opening enrollment of about 829 students, roughly 85% of building capacity.

Why it matters: the boundary decision will reassign some students and affect school utilization across nearby elementary schools; the district said it examined expected 5- and 10-year enrollment forecasts and factored in planned housing-area growth.

Option 2 and trade-offs: Option 2 would add a portion of Selwyn's attendance area west of Park Road and would raise opening utilization to about 95%, the consultants said. Cropper warned that Option 2 would increase the risk of near-term overcrowding if out-of-zone transfers continue at current rates. Consulting partner Mike Martin of RTI International said the public engagement work ' which included nine in-person listening sessions, 12 virtual sessions and an online questionnaire ' found the vast majority of participants preferred Option 1 because it "presents the least disruption" and leaves room for growth.

Equity and feeder patterns: Cropper and Dr. Hill noted they carried forward a board-approved middle-school boundary change (a Pinewood-area move from Alexander Graham to Sedgefield approved in February 2023) so the proposed elementary option aligns with previously approved middle-school assignments. The district said elementary boundary work focused on K— patterns but included a limited middle-school alignment to avoid reassigning middle-school students twice.

Public engagement and next steps: Dr. Hill said the district paused the process in October following community feedback, resumed engagement in spring and published materials online. The superintendent recommended Option 1 to the board and announced a public hearing on June 5 and a final board vote scheduled for June 24. Dr. Hill told the board that the district will continue community outreach and that families would receive communications describing next steps.

Board questions and concerns: trustees asked about transfer students, special-program transfers (SPP) from low-performing schools, and the small number of participants from some neighborhoods. Dr. Hill said SPP transfers would be accommodated and that district staff would work with families on magnet or transfer options. Board members asked for continued clarity about how feeder patterns would affect students through middle and high school; district staff said high-school assignments would not change for the affected elementary students and noted the moved Marie G. Davis K— students would continue to Sedgefield Middle School.

Ending note: Dr. Hill said the recommendation reflects consultant analysis, community feedback and board policy; the district will present the recommendation for public comment on June 5 and ask the board to vote on June 24.