CMS officials met with media at Druid Hills Academy to give updates on the 2011-12 school year. (L-R) Scott McCully, Amy Harkey, Ann Clark, Hugh Hattabaugh, Guy Chamberlain, Carol Stamper, Dan Habrat

By CHRISTINA RITCHIE ROGERS
DavidsonNews.net

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools continues to look for teachers, even as more than 141,000 students prepare to return to school next week. Hiring hundreds of new teachers was just one of the tasks district officials faced over the summer, along with the logistics of school closures and consolidations and mobile classroom preparation. District officials met with members of the media Wednesday at Druid Hills Academy in Charlotte to give an update on the changes. Read the full story

North Mecklenburg High's band performed at the J.M. Alexander Back to School Fair Saturday.

HUNTERSVILLE - Returning and incoming students and their families converged on J.M. Alexander Middle School Saturday, Aug. 13, for a Back to School Fair.The fair welcomed back existing J.M. Alexander students and their new classmates from Davidson IB Middle School, which is now a school-within-a-school at Alexander. Read the full story

Updated Wednesday, Aug. 9
When the new school year begins in a couple of weeks, Davidson IB Middle School will be strangely silent. But there will be a louder buzz at J.M. Alexander Middle School in Huntersville, where the Davidson IB magnet program will become a school-within-a-school. Saturday, Aug. 13, the newly combined school’s Parent Teacher Student Association will hold a “Back to School Fair” to welcome both IB students and their returning J.M. Alexander classmates.

The event will run from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at the Alexander athletic field, off N.C. 115. (See the “Back to School Fair” event page on Facebook.) Read the full story

Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools

A $250,000 sponsorship agreement with Hendrick Automotive Group will allow Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to offer a complete program of middle school sports for the 2011-12 academic year. Read the full story

Lake Norman Christian School says it has many questions, but will begin negotiations next week with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools about leasing the former Davidson IB Middle School on South Street.

CMS announced Wednesday that the school board picked Lake Norman Christian to lease the aging school, at 251 South St. Read the full story

W.A. Hough High School Marching Band members gear up for band camp next week. In other school news, CMS reminds families that all students must receive vaccinations before school starts, the North Mecklenburg High School team doctor offers $20 sports physicals, Tenders hosts a restaurant night benefiting Bailey Middle School, J.M. Alexander Middle’s PTSA hosts a back to school fair for new and returning students and families and Hopewell High grad Caleb White wins a $4,000 college scholarship. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools has decided to lease the now-vacant Davidson IB Middle School on South Street to Lake Norman Christian School. The CMS board discussed leases for the Davidson site and nine other schools at its meeting Tuesday night. The decision disappointed Davidson town officials, who also had bid to use the school. Read the full story

By JULIE ROSE
WFAE

Not only did Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools not lay off teachers for the coming school year, the district is actually adding teachers to its roster.

At the most tense point of budget negotiations with county officials, CMS warned it may have to lay off 1,500 teachers and staff. Ultimately the money picture was much rosier and only 320 people lost their jobs because of budget cuts. Read the full story