CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - There is a push to split Charlotte - Mecklenburg school (CMS) district into three jurisdictions. Proponents believe this will be a win win situation for all students.
"Why not," South Mecklenburg Alliance for Responsible Taxpayers (SMART) Founder Tim Timmerman said. "If you can get smaller school districts more direct accountability."
SMART is one of the groups that's pushing for the divide. The plan would include three school boards, three superintendents, and each board would have taxing authority to raise money for the school district. The three districts would be North, South, and Central.
"It's for the kids and the teachers," Timmerman said. "And to get more support in the classroom."
While Timmerman thinks breaking up is good, the president of Charlotte's local NAACP Kojo Nantambu thinks it's an awful idea. He believes a split is a move to separate black students from the rest. The Central district would be majority minority.
"Of course that flies in the face of separate but unequal," Nantambu said. "So we are against it, in any shape, form or fashion."
The president says instead of breaking up let both parties come together.
"Why don't they come and talk," the local NAACP president said. "And see how we can make all the resources be utilized more effectively."
SMART organizer claims this has nothing to do with race and everything to do with fairness. Timmerman says each district will be diverse.
"South Mecklenburg is not a one race area," Timmerman said. "Today - it's very diverse."
Nantambu says his organization will fight this proposal by any means necessary.
Civil disobedience, if it comes to that," Nantambu said. "But that's way up the road kind of thing. But up the road we are going to fight it every which way possible."
Supporters of this divide are hoping a Republican run General Assembly will pass this legislation. That what it will take to make the split possible.
COPYRIGHT 2012. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
