Greetings, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Families!
Here we are in the month of June – just days away from the end of the 2025-26 school year. Thank you for your steadfast partnership and support throughout the year.
Graduation season is in full swing. Seniors from our early and middle colleges celebrated this important milestone last month, and our remaining seniors are set to cross the stage at ceremonies scheduled for June 1 and June 10–13. Each ceremony will be streamed live. Visit the graduation schedule page on our district website for viewing links and the full schedule. We are also excited to share our Class of 2026 Senior Stories on the district website. The special section features a graduating senior from every high school.
I am proud to share that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools was recently featured in not one, but two, national studies. The Center for Public Research and Leadership recognized CMS as a premier example of how a large, complex school district can successfully deliver results. Our practices are being highlighted as models for districts across the country, demonstrating how to ensure high-quality instruction, consistency, and continuous improvement at scale. You can read the complete case study here.
Additionally, the Education Scorecard – a national research collaboration among the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University, and faculty at Dartmouth College – named Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools a national leader in academic recovery and growth. The study, which reviewed data from 2022 to 2025, found that CMS students outperformed both state and peer-district averages. Key benchmarks from the 2022–2025 CMS data set include:
- Exceptional Literacy Rebound: CMS ranks in the 86th percentile nationally for its reading growth since 2022, standing out amid a broader national literacy learning recession.
- Strong Mathematical Gains: The district’s math improvement trend outpaced that of the vast majority of the country, placing it in the 82nd percentile nationwide.
- Bridging the Gap: Students who have historically faced the most challenges are making the quickest progress. In fact, students from lower-income backgrounds are improving their skills by an extra 20% of a grade level every year.
- Outperforming Peer Districts: CMS's upward trajectory outpaced the average growth of its most instructionally and socioeconomically similar peer districts in both reading and mathematics.
Many thanks to our educators, administrators and staff who remain deeply committed to ensuring success for every student.
Last month, at our annual Gem Awards celebration, we announced our Teacher of the Year, Beginning Teacher of the Year, and Teacher Assistant of the Year. Congratulations to:
- Teacher of the Year | Rebeckah Hauss | Metro School
- Beginning Teacher of the Year | Reese Finnie | Bruns Avenue Elementary School
- Teacher Assistant of the Year | Clarice Surles | Berryhill School
Congratulations are also in order for our 2026 Spring Athletic Champions:
- Track and Field
- 8A Women’s Champion: Mallard Creek High School
- 8A Men’s Co-Champions: Mallard Creek High School
- Most Outstanding Performer: Bella-Marie Black, Mallard Creek High School
- Farm Bureau Sportsmanship Award Winners
- Women: Londyn Campbell, Mallard Creek High School
- Men: Anthony Cook, Mallard Creek High School
- Track and Field (Individual Events State Champions)
- 6A Boys Triple Jump: Tyson Williams, Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology
- 7A Boys 4 x 100 Meter Relay: David W. Butler High School
- 8A Girls 100 M Dash & 200 M Dash: Bella-Marie Black, Mallard Creek High School
- 8A Girls 400 M Dash: ZaNovia Davis, Garinger High School
- 8A Girls 100 M Hurdles: Jaliyah Hunter, Mallard Creek High School
- 8A Girls 300 M Hurdles: Mia Lynshue, Mallard Creek High School
- 8A Girls 4 x100 & 4 x 200 Meter Relay: Mallard Creek High School
- 8A Girls 4 x 400 Meter Relay: Myers Park High School
- 8A Girls High Jump: Asia Artis, Garinger High School
- 8A Girls Triple Jump: A’Riyanna Battle, Mallard Creek High School
- 8A Boys 100M & 200 M Dash: Justin Stevenson, Palisades High School
- 8A Boys 400M Dash: Liam Kinken, South Mecklenburg High School
- 8A Boys 300 M Hurdles: Nyan Brown, Mallard Creek High School
- 8A Boys 4 x 100 M Relay: Mallard Creek High School
- 8A Boys 4 x 400 M Relay: William Amos Hough High School
- 8A Boys Discus Throw: Anthony Cook, Mallard Creek High School
- Baseball
- 8A State Champions: Providence High School
- Farm Bureau Sportsmanship Award Winner: Chase Khanolkar, Providence High School
- MVP: Jaxon Haynes, Providence High School
- Softball
- 8A State Champions: Providence High School
- Farm Bureau Sportsmanship Winner: Mia Zeng, Providence High School
- MVP: Camryn O'Connor, Providence High School
- Lacrosse
- 8A Champion (Men’s): Ardrey Kell High School
- Farm Bureau Sportsmanship Winner: Aiden Fong, Ardrey Kell High School
- MVP: Cole Stankavage, Ardrey Kell High School
- Women’s Soccer
- 8A Champion: Myers Park High School
- Farm Bureau Sportsmanship Award: Anna Bilderback, Myers Park High School
- MVP: Amaya Falzarano, Myers Park High School
We also honored colleagues retiring this school year at our annual Legacy of Service celebration last month. We extend our heartfelt thanks to each retiree for their years of dedicated service to our students and families – their impact is both significant and lasting.
Remember to keep your students’ skills sharp during the summer break. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools offers a number of academic resources for students in all grade levels. Families with elementary school students are encouraged to use our Elementary Summer Packets, which include 20 days of literacy, math, science and social studies activities to prepare for the upcoming school year. You can find learning resources for our middle and high school students here.
In closing, here are a couple of important reminders:
- You can make sure your student is first-day-of-school ready by attending our Get in the Game Welcome event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 6 at the Central Piedmont Community College Harris Campus. New and returning CMS families are encouraged to attend to get a strong start to the 2026-27 school year and get enrollment questions answered.
- Final report cards for the 2025-26 school year will be available for students in grades 3–12 through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal on June 10. Students in grades K–2 will receive printed report cards to bring home. Visit our district website for instructions about setting up your Parent Portal account.
Thank you for another incredible school year. We are honored to educate your children and wish you a safe and happy summer!
In service and partnership,
Crystal
Crystal L. Hill, Ed.D.
Superintendent
