Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board will meet Tuesday night at 6 p.m. in Charlotte to vote on a 2010-11 budget. The plan won’t include bell-schedule changes at Davidson IB, Piedmont Open Middle and Smith Academy, as the system has found other areas to cut. Read the full story

Two students from Woodlawn School have advanced to the national level of the annual History Day competition.

Stephan Snyder, an 8th grader, qualified by winning the state competition in the documentary class for his film, “Elevators: Giving Rise to the Modern City.” Stephan, the son of Greg Snyder and Motria Procyk of Davidson, said he got the idea for making a movie about elevators after family trips to San Francisco and New York City. He’s not sure when the “aha” moment occurred, but said it was during those visits to great American cities that he realized the importance of elevation to urban development. Read the full story

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By ANN DOSS HELMS
The Charlotte Observer

Making Charlotte-Mecklenburg students pay for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams would save $1.3 million the district now covers, giving the school board the chance to avert other budget cuts, Superintendent Peter Gorman said Friday.
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Watch out for soccer fans Friday as Davidson Day hosts a state playoff game for the girls NCISAA tournament.

We have news below on that, plus two Woodlawn students, Stephan Snyder and Joe Andry, who qualified for nationals in the annual History Day competition, and Bailey Band at Busch Gardens.

Our calendar of upcoming school events now lists graduation ceremonies at Woodlawn, Davidson Day and North Meck. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

More than 50 parents, students and neighbors attended a meeting at Davidson IB Middle School last night, many objecting to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ plan to replace neighborhood buses with regional shuttles and push back the start of the school day by 90 minutes next year.

CMS Chief operating officer Hugh Hattabaugh was at Wednesday’s meeting to answer questions and outline the proposed changes, which will come up for a school board vote on Tuesday, May 11. District 1 school board representative Rhonda Lennon also attended, and though she initially said she was there only to listen, she told parents about halfway through the 2-hour meeting that she will put forward a motion Tuesday to throw out the bell-schedule change.
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AWARD COMES ON EVE OF MEETING ABOUT FUTURE OF SCHOOL

Davidson International Baccalaureate Middle School was recognized as one of the top magnet schools in the country at a conference in Tampa, Fla., over the weekend.

“It’s quite an honor,” said Principal Jo Karney.

“We are proud and humbled – but not surprised,” said Student Leadership Team Chair Jim Brueggemann.

The award comes at a time when Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are bracing for budget cuts and preparing to make difficult decisions about magnet schools like Davidson IB.  One school board member has even advocated folding the school into a larger building closer to Charlotte, to allow cost savings and program expansion.

Wednesday night, May 5, Davidson IB will hold a public meeting about proposed changes, starting at 6:30 p.m. in the school auditorium. Read the full story

By ANN DOSS HELMS
The Charlotte Observer

Several North Mecklenburg High School students face citations and school suspensions after allegedly drinking vodka on a prom bus rented by school board member Rhonda Lennon. Read the full story