The Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board Tuesday night approved a scaled-down $516 million bond package for school construction and renovations in a 7-2 vote. Money for revovations at Davidson IB Middle School on South Street survived the cuts, as did money for a new high school on Bailey Road in Cornelius.

The package now goes back to the county commission, which had requested $101 million in cuts. The commission is expected to take a final vote Aug. 14 on whether to put the bonds on the November ballot.

School District 1, which includes north Meck, would get the lion’s share of the bond money – $178.6 million for 9 projects. District 2 would get the second largest amount, $69.4 million.

District 1 representative Larry Gavreau and at-large member Kaye McGarry opposed the bond package, according to a report in the Charlotte Observer.

DAVIDSON IB SCHOOL

The board approved allotting $6.2 million for renovations at Davidson IB Middle School. That’s a little over a million dollars more than the estimated cost two years ago, when voters rejected the school bond ballot issue.

The Davidson IB project has slipped down the priority list slightly, to No. 13 from No. 11, out of 40 projects. But if voters ultimately approve the bond package, the money would be available. School system plans call for completion of the renovations by 2010.

NEW HIGH SCHOOL

The bond package as approved Tuesday also includes money for a new high school on Bailey Road in Cornelius. It would be complete in 2010, at an estimated cost of $50.6 million. The Bailey Road high school ranks No. 2 on the priority list.

DAVIDSON ELEMENTARY

The bond package includes money for fire alarm upgrades at a list of schools, including Davidson Elementary.

READ MORE

Read a summary of Tuesday’s meeting, and see the updated list of projects on the CMS website.