The new South Charlotte Relief High School is scheduled to open August 2024.  Students zoned for Myers Park High School, South Mecklenburg High School, and Ardrey Kell High School will be impacted.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) has proposed that any families in the current Olde Providence Elementary-Carmel Middle-Myers Park feeder pattern be rezoned to South Meck to backfill the student vacancies left by rezoning some of the current South Meck families to the new South Charlotte Relief High School.  The current proposed scenarios have made our zoning situation worse, as South Mecklenburg High School is less convenient and a longer commute than Myers Park for most of Olde Providence.  

In addition to the new high school being completed, this is also a redistricting year for CMS.  Olde Providence Elementary was hopeful that the CMS Planning Department would take this opportunity to correct something that has been broken for Olde Providence Elementary families for many years by correcting the Olde Providence split feeder pattern.  This was an opportunity to ensure that all Olde Providence Elementary students remain with their fellow classmates all the way through high school.  Or, at the very least, be reunited in high school at Providence High School. Unfortunately, none of the scenarios that CMS has proposed corrects this.  The CMS Planning Department has refused to consider Providence High School as an option during this redistricting year even though it is the option that best fits the four core principles of the CMS Planning Department, which are:

1) School Proximity to Home - Providence High School is, by far, the closest high school to Olde Providence Elementary. 

2) Intact Feeder Patterns - At the very least, rezoning all of Olde Providence to Providence would reunite the split elementary feeder pattern in high school for those kids that split to South Charlotte Middle and Carmel Middle during middle school.  In addition, it gives the CMS Planning Department the opportunity to change the flow for the entire school of Olde Providence Elementary to go to South Charlotte Middle and then on to Providence High School for a true intact feeder pattern.  Since the Olde Providence Elementary feeder pattern splits at middle school, only a small number of students would impact both schools.  However, this would have a large impact on the mental health of these students.

3) Building Utilization - According to the numbers shared by CMS, Providence High School is slightly under capacity, making it the only under-utilized high school in South Charlotte. 

4) Socioeconomic Status - According to the numbers shared by CMS, Providence High School has 0% low socioeconomic status.  Rezoning Olde Providence Elementary to Providence High School is a way to increase diversity at Providence High School.

There are other factors to consider as well:

** There will be disruption for those students already enrolled in high school.  CMS has stated that they will only "grandfather in" rising seniors, forcing any rising sophomores or juniors to interrupt their high school experience.  This is especially troubling after the interruptions that occurred for this same group of students in middle school during the pandemic.  The entire South Charlotte community is overwhelmingly in support of letting all high school students complete their high school experience at their currently enrolled school.  

** There should be IB continuation for any students currently enrolled at Myers Park due to the IB curriculum.  The IB methodology is used in all classes for Myers Park underclassmen.  Rezoning these Myers Park students to any other high school changes a curriculum that they have been following for years.  

** Housing development around South Meck, Ardrey Kell and the new South Charlotte Relief High School continues to bring additional student enrollment to those school zones.  Whereas the same volume of development is not happening around Providence High School.

** Five of the nine school board members are newly elected.  These representatives are being asked to vote on this rezoning plan in February 2023 without adequate time for research and community feedback.

** CMS is currently without a superintendent.  This plan is of great importance and should be considered with a superintendent's guidance.

** There has been limited opportunities for community engagement and feedback due to a limited social media presence and lack of public announcements.  Many families have only been made aware of this plan by neighbors, not CMS.

** CMS intends to put a large bond package on the ballot in November 2023.  Does CMS want to risk losing the support for this future bond package by not listening to and incorporating community feedback during this final phase of the 2017 bond?

CMS should follow their four core principles when a redistricting year and new high school are in play.  The Olde Providence community is overwhelmingly in favor of rezoning all Olde Providence Elementary students to Providence High School.    

The plan proposed by CMS is flawed on many levels.  Please sign this petition to demand that:

1) Any high school student has the option to remain at their current high school.

2)  For future Olde Providence students, CMS should fix the Olde Providence broken feeder pattern, by rezoning ALL Olde Providence students to Providence High School.  This ensures that all future Olde Providence Elementary students will continue their education together. 

Thank you.