The $2.5 billion bond referendum funds 30 high-priority projects focused on providing significant benefits for students and schools. These projects will improve educational environments, offer more academic options, alleviate overcrowding, and renovate and replace aging CMS facilities. 

J.T. Williams Secondary Montessori community is excited about their new barn design at Marie G. Davis

The J.T. Williams Secondary Montessori campus is moving to Marie G. Davis campus. Serving grades 7-12, the relocation will expand access to this unique program. Special features will include a new barn to support the growing animal science and entrepreneurship programs! The Montessori campus move is scheduled to take place in August 2026. Stay tuned for the next project update meeting, planned for the fall of 2025, to hear updates from the team.

Saying goodbye to the current Cotswold Elementary building

June 10 was a significant day for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and especially for Cotswold Elementary! It was the last day of school, marking the final time students left the current Cotswold Elementary School, which which is being replaced on-site. We interviewed staff, a parent and then-Principal Alicia Hash, who all shared their excitement for the new Cotswold campus, projected to open in 2027 thanks to the 2023 bond! 

First Ward Creative Arts Academy is becoming a middle school in 2025-26

Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, First Ward Creative Arts Academy will officially transition into a full-choice middle school serving grades 6-8. As part of a broader arts program realignment, current elementary students at First Ward will move to University Park Creative Arts Academy, which becomes a full-choice school, while middle school students from Northwest School of the Arts (grades 6-8) will shift to First Ward. Renovation work began at the end of this school year. The conversion project will deliver updated, arts-centered learning spaces tailored to middle school students, expanding access to creative arts programming in the heart of uptown Charlotte.

South Mecklenburg High 2023 bond project



Big changes are coming to South Mecklenburg High School. Principal Marc Angerer shared exciting updates on the 2023 bond-funded campus improvements, including a new academic building, expanded dining areas and upgraded athletic facilities. Stay tuned for upcoming dates for the project update meeting with the design team this fall.

North Mecklenburg High 2023 bond project

Exciting improvements are underway at North Mecklenburg High School as part of the CMS 2023 bond program. The campus is being completely transformed as a result of the replacement of the entire school, to include upgraded athletic facilities, parking, and more. This total replacement will support students success both in and out of the classroom. New athletic facilities are expected to open for the 2026-27 school year; the new academic building in 2027-28; and demolition of the existing school and final completion will follow by the 2028-29. A project update meeting will be held between September and November 2025 to keep the community informed on construction progress and next steps.

Berryhill K-8 Replacement School

Winter 2025

Beverly Wood Elementary School Replacement

Fall 2025

Dilworth Middle School Magnet Renovations

Winter 2025

Huntersville Elementary School Replacement

Fall 2025

New Middle School #2

Winter 2025

Stay tuned!

Project Status

Bruns Avenue Elementary School



Fresh stripes and smooth asphalt! The parking lot at Bruns Avenue Elementary School is ready for the 2025-26 school year, thanks to the 2017 bond project! Paving and striping are complete, and the playground is ready for students. 

New Elementary School on Park Road site

Footings and foundations are complete, and crews continue to work on underground utilities, storm structure installations, mass grading, and steel erection. As the structure begins to take shape above ground, we’re entering an exciting new phase of visible progress and momentum! This 45-classroom school will replace the Dilworth paired schools and is on track to open in August 2026.

New Middle School #1 South



Construction is moving forward at Middle School #1 South, located at 5400 Camp Verde Lane in Charlotte. Footings and foundations are complete, and crews are now working on the slab on grade, underground utilities and the side. This 54-classroom school will serve grades 6-8 and help relieve Community House Middle School, Jay M. Robinson Middle School and Rea Farms STEAM Academy (K-8). The school is on track to open for the 2026-27 school year, thanks to the 2023 bond.

Northwest School of the Arts

Currently, we're focusing on mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, brick masonry and glass windows, with summer prep and roofing improvements on existing buildings. These photos show the main entrance, media center progress and more. Building G is scheduled for completion by January 2026!

Sedgefield Montessori Elementary School

Work continues at Sedgefield Montessori, located at 715 Hartford Avenue. Final renovations scheduled for completion in August 2025, prior to the start of the new school year. The upper site improvements (including relocation of the gazebo previously at the Park Road site) have been completed. Improvements to the existing sidewalks and landscaping around the building are currently underway. Inside, the contractor is making progress with the addition of 18 exterior doors to existing classrooms, renovations for two life skills classrooms, and the LED lighting retrofit is nearly complete.

Construction Safety Week

May 5 - 9

During Construction Safety Week, we visited the team at Sedgefield Montessori and some other schools funded by the 2023 bond to remind individuals on our construction teams that their voice matters—because nothing is more important than returning home safely to their loved ones after each day of work. We also shared snacks as a small token of appreciation for their hard work and dedication to building safe, high-quality schools for our students.

CMS Bond Communications receives an Award of Merit for its social media

Our communication specialist, Sylvia Obén, in collaboration with our functional teams working on the 2023 bond program received a National School Public Relations Association Publications and Digital Media Excellence Award for the great work being done to spotlight our bond projects on social media. To learn more about the projects, visit linktr.ee/cmsbondinfo.

Workforce Development

HAPPY NATIONAL INTERN DAY! – July 31, 2025

Interns make for tomorrow's future leaders.

Three Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools student interns have been learning about the inner workings of CMS, including facility use, design, construction, inspections and more!

Last month, CMS interns with the Mayor's Youth Employment Program – Varune Kulasingam, a senior from Ardrey Kell High School; Franklin Tyner, a junior from J.T. Williams Secondary Montessori; and Va'Shawn Moales, a senior from Harding University High School, visited Messer Construction's offices and DLR Architects to learn from a 2023 bond construction manager and designer about the process of developing buildings. The interns also learned about the path to becoming an architect. They used and learned about various tools, including 3D models, drones and exploring a model of a school through virtual reality.

CMS Students Launch Trades Careers Through The ROC

Forty-one students from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools high schools — like Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology, West Mecklenburg, Julius L. Chambers, West Charlotte, Harding and Garinger — have secured full-time jobs, apprenticeships and internships in the skilled trades through The ROC (Rebuilding Opportunities in Construction) for summer 2025.

The ROC is a workforce development initiative that connects high school students with hands-on training and real-world experience in the construction industry. These opportunities are being provided by companies such as Messer, Wayne Brothers, Balfour Beatty, DPR, Adams, WB Moore, Gaylor and others — many of which are serving as general contractors and construction managers on CMS bond projects. This collaboration between public education and the construction industry is helping students launch meaningful careers while also contributing to the transformation of their school communities. 

Education 2 Employment Signing Day

As part of the “Education 2 Employment” partnership between the city of Charlotte and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), 25 recent CMS graduates have been hired into entry-level positions across various city departments. This initiative provides young adults with a direct path from high school into public service careers, offering hands-on experience and professional development. Roles span across Housing and Neighborhood Services, General Services, Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), Charlotte Water, Aviation, Solid Waste Services and Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT). The new employees will earn minimum wage at $23 per hour and will receive city benefits, including medical, paid vacation, sick and holidays; a 401(k) and North Carolina retirement pension plan; education assistance; and much more. Their first day on the job was Monday, July 14.

River Oaks Academy Visit

Our colleague Vincent Spencer, Sr. Design Manager for CMS Construction, visited River Oaks Academy to speak with Pre-K students about the importance of recycling and reusing materials in our bond projects. This visit was extra special—Vincent’s own son attended River Oaks years ago! He’s proud to give back to the school community by sharing his knowledge and inspiring the next generation to care for our planet. 

What is Architecture? Event

On Saturday, May 31, the North Carolina Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NC NOMA) in collaboration with Prism Design Lab and Diversify Architecture facilitated the "What is Architecture?" Event, graciously hosted by the University City Regional Library location.They brought together more than 20 children and their families from the community for a hands-on, inspiring experience and urban planning through interactive activities like building with LEGOs, wooden blocks on real neighborhood maps—igniting curiosity and potentially creating future architects and designers.

NC NOMA generously donated architecture-themed books to the library, many of which will be added to the library storytime rotation and circulating collection. Events like this are essential to helping young minds understand the importance of the built environment—especially in the context of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Building for Excellence initiative, which is transforming school spaces across Charlotte-Mecklenburg to support high-quality learning and teaching.

We’re grateful to NC NOMA members for their time, creativity, and contributions to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools community.

ACE Mentorship Banquet

In May, the 2025 ACE Charlotte End of Year Banquet brought together over 270 guests at The Union at Station West to celebrate Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students exploring careers in architecture, construction and engineering.

Students presented design proposals after months of preparation, with Hopewell High School winning the ACE Cup (Best Overall). Other CMS winners included East Mecklenburg High School for Best Engineering and Charlotte Engineering Early College students on the University Team, which earned Best Architecture.

The event also recognized ACE scholarship winners from CMS, including: Dominick Perkins (Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology), Saanvi Kasera (East Mecklenburg High) and Lisa Duong (Charlotte Engineering Early College).

These students won for their academic excellence and dedication to ACE’s mission of building the next generation of industry leaders. Students received hands-on mentoring from CMS bond project experts, including architects, design managers and vendors.

North Mecklenburg High School Outreach Event

In June, more than 70 vendors attended the Outreach Meeting at North Mecklenburg High School to learn about upcoming opportunities related to this major Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools construction project. Don’t miss your chance to get involved — this project includes over 300,000 square feet of new academic and athletic facilities.

Second Ward Outreach Event

Thank you to the vendors who attended the outreach meeting on June 9 at Metro School! We appreciate your interest in the Second Ward Medical Magnet High School project.

North Mecklenburg High School Pre-Bid and Sitewalk

On July 14, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, in partnership with New Atlantic, held a pre-bid meeting and site walk for the North Mecklenburg High School Project for bid package Grandstands 13A (athletic bleachers) and bid package Site Work 31A. This work includes preparation for the new football stadium and the new school. Prime bidders and secondary vendors took this opportunity to introduce themselves and explore potential partnerships.

Doing Business with CMS!

Explore the CMS Bond Construction website! Stay informed on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools‬ bond projects, including project updates, reports, outreach events, procurement opportunities and MWSBE resources.

2023 Dashboard

2017 Dashboard