The Charlotte-Mecklenburg (N.C.) school district is taking steps to place a nearly $3 billion bond proposal on the ballot later this year.
The Charlotte Observer reports that if the proposal as it now stands appears on the November ballot, it would be the largest bond proposal ever in North Carolina.
The bond funds would enable Charlotte-Mecklenburg to address its capacity needs and get students out of outdated schools, Dennis LaCaria, a consultant, told the school board earlier this week.
The $2.997 billion bond package would provide money for 30 projects; most would involve new school buildings on existing properties. The list of facility needs has been reduced from an initial list of 125 projects with a price tag of more than $5 billion.
The plan does not call for the district to buy any new properties, LaCaria says. It would use land it already owns.
The most recent bond package approved by Charlotte-Mecklenburg voters was just shy of $1 billion in 2017.
More than 105 district schools were "at or over capacity" at the end of the last school year, district Chief Operations Officer Brian Schultz said.
The school board is schedule to vote on the bond package on Feb. 28. Then, school officials will present the plan to county commissioners on March 4.If county commissioners approve the plan, it will go to the Local Government Commission.
In 2022, the Local Government Commission approved applications from four counties for nearly $2.5 billion in school bonds.
