CMS Board Meetings, School Calendar, Members & Family Routes
“CMS Board of Education” in Charlotte means the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, the governing board for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Families and residents often reach the Board website looking for very different things—meeting dates, agendas, the school calendar, a Board member, enrollment, bus information, student records or the right district office.
This guide separates those tasks so you can start with the correct CMS route instead of sending a school-level problem to the Board or using the Board calendar when you actually need the student academic calendar.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education quick facts
CMS is a countywide public school system. Its elected Board has nine members: six represent geographic districts and three serve at large. Regular meetings are normally held on the second and fourth Tuesdays at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center.
Six district representatives and three at-large members, all elected to four-year terms.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, 600 East Fourth Street, Charlotte, NC 28202.
October 13, 2026 at 6:00 p.m., with closed session normally beginning at 4:00 p.m.
CMS uses its Diligent Community portal for agendas, minutes, policies, goals and Board records.
Don’t confuse the systems: the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education is the local CMS governing board. The North Carolina State Board of Education and NCDPI handle statewide education responsibilities; Mecklenburg County government is a separate local government.
What the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board actually does
Under North Carolina law, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education is the governing body for the public school district of Mecklenburg County. The Board oversees district policy and school-system governance, while the superintendent and CMS administration manage daily operations.
Individual Board members do not have independent authority to act for the Board. CMS states that official Board actions take place only when the Board formally convenes and acts.
Board-level issues
Board meetings, policies, governance, district goals, public hearings, Board committees and formal Board action.
District department issues
Enrollment, School Choice, transportation, public records, student records and systemwide administrative services.
School-level issues
Attendance, classroom concerns, active-student records, schedules and many day-to-day student questions should begin with the school.
Student privacy: a public Board meeting is not the right place to disclose a student’s medical, discipline, disability, custody or education-record information. Use the school or appropriate CMS department for private matters.
Next CMS Board of Education meetings
Regular Board meetings are normally held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center. CMS generally begins closed session at 4:00 p.m. and regular public session at 6:00 p.m. unless the event notice states otherwise.
| Date | Meeting | Time | Location / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 13, 2026 | Regular Meeting of the Board | 6:00–9:00 p.m. | CMGC Chamber Room; closed session listed for 4:00 p.m. |
| Oct. 27, 2026 | Regular Meeting of the Board | 6:00–9:00 p.m. | CMGC Chamber Room; closed session listed for 4:00 p.m. |
Meeting pattern: CMS says regular meetings are generally held on the second and fourth Tuesdays. Special meetings, hearings and committee meetings can appear on other dates, so the live Board calendar is the final source.
How to speak at a CMS Board meeting
CMS schedules general public comment at least once each month, normally at the first regular Board meeting. This is different from a formal public hearing, which is tied to a specific proposed action or policy.
Confirm that public comment is scheduled
The first regular meeting of the month normally includes general public comment. A second monthly meeting may not.
Register by 5:00 p.m. the day before
CMS accepts registration through the online Public Speaking Sign Up form, by telephone at 980-343-5163 or by email to boardclerk@cms.k12.nc.us.
Attend in person
The Board calendar says speakers must attend the meeting in person to be eligible to speak.
Plan for two minutes
The current Board rule provides two minutes per speaker, although the Chair may reduce the time based on the number of speakers or length of the agenda.
Address the Board as a whole
CMS instructs speakers to direct comments to the entire Board. Board members do not conduct a question-and-answer dialogue during the public-comment period.
Speaker priority: current CMS rules call students first, followed by speakers addressing agenda items, then speakers addressing non-agenda topics. People within the same priority group are called in signup order.
Accessibility: anyone who needs a reasonable accommodation to access or participate in a Board meeting can contact Board Governance Support & Operations at 980-343-5163 or boardclerk@cms.k12.nc.us.
Where to find CMS agendas, minutes and policies
CMS links its current Board records through Diligent Community. That system is the better source when you need the actual agenda, approved minutes, policy text, goals and guardrails or Board handbook rather than a news summary.
Before a meeting
Use the meeting agenda to identify scheduled items and attached public materials. An agenda does not prove that an item was ultimately approved.
After a meeting
Use the official minutes and Board record to verify formal action. Individual Board-member statements do not substitute for action taken by the Board as a body.
Open the CMS Board page
Use the district-linked Diligent Community route so you are not relying on an old cached agenda.
Choose agendas or minutes
Select the record type you need and match the exact Board meeting date.
Use policy records for current rules
Policies can change after committee review, first readings, public hearings and Board action. Use the current policy book rather than a copied policy excerpt.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board members
The current CMS directory lists nine elected members. The six district representatives are tied to geographic Board districts; three additional members are elected at large across the district.
Gregory “Dee” Rankin
Current Board Chair and District 3 representative.
Liz Monterrey Duvall
Current Board Vice Chair and at-large member.
Lenora Shipp
At-large Board member.
Monty Witherspoon
At-large Board member.
Charlitta Hatch
District 1 Board representative.
Shamaiye Haynes
District 2 Board representative.
Stephanie Sneed
District 4 Board representative.
Cynthia Stone
District 5 Board representative.
Anna London
District 6 Board representative.
Student Advisor: CMS currently lists Inchara Gopinath as Student Advisor. The Student Advisor participates in Board dialogue but is not a voting member of the elected Board.
CMS Board districts are not the same as school assignment zones
CMS publishes a Schools by District page that groups schools under the six Board districts. That list is useful for understanding Board representation, but it should not be used to decide which school a student is assigned to.
| Board district | Current representative | What the district list means |
|---|---|---|
| District 1 | Charlitta Hatch | Schools grouped in CMS Board District 1. |
| District 2 | Shamaiye Haynes | Schools grouped in CMS Board District 2. |
| District 3 | Gregory “Dee” Rankin | Schools grouped in CMS Board District 3. |
| District 4 | Stephanie Sneed | Schools grouped in CMS Board District 4. |
| District 5 | Cynthia Stone | Schools grouped in CMS Board District 5. |
| District 6 | Anna London | Schools grouped in CMS Board District 6. |
For student placement: use the CMS address-based assigned-school process. A Board district identifies representation; it does not by itself determine a child’s home school.
CMS school calendar: choose the right calendar before using a date
Charlotte-Mecklenburg does not operate every school on one identical student calendar. CMS publishes a Traditional Calendar plus separate schedules for Hawthorne Academy of Health Sciences, Central Piedmont early/middle colleges and UNC Charlotte early colleges.
Traditional schools
The 2026–27 traditional school year began August 25, 2026. The calendar lists June 9, 2027 as the last student day.
Early College calendars
CMS publishes separate CPCC and UNC Charlotte Early College schedules. Their first day can be earlier than the Traditional Calendar.
Hawthorne Academy
Hawthorne Academy of Health Sciences also has a separate 2026–27 calendar.
How to register a new student in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
CMS uses Infinite Campus for online registration. New families should first identify the school assigned to the home address, gather the required records and complete the online enrollment form.
Find the assigned school
CMS says every student is assigned a school based on the family’s home address. Start with the district’s assigned-school lookup.
Prepare enrollment documents
Have proof of residency, proof of the student’s age, immunization records, prior school records and legal custody documents when applicable.
Complete Infinite Campus registration
The 2026–27 online registration process is open through the official CMS registration route.
Wait for the assigned school to process enrollment
Once the submission and documents are received, the assigned school processes enrollment and provides the student’s ID and PIN.
Placement protection: CMS states that a student is guaranteed placement at the assigned home school. Families must register at the assigned school before pursuing reassignment or transfer options.
School Choice is different from ordinary CMS enrollment
School Choice allows eligible families to apply to theme-based or alternative programs. CMS now uses Parchment for lottery, transfer and reassignment workflows, while ordinary new-student registration remains a separate enrollment process.
Already have a Choice seat?
CMS says students generally do not have to reapply every year to remain in an accepted Program Choice placement through the program’s terminal grade, assuming district and program requirements continue to be met.
Choice outside your transportation zone
A student may be eligible to attend a program outside the normal transportation zone, but CMS says transportation is not automatically provided for that out-of-zone Choice placement.
2026–27 timing: the main Choice Lottery application period ran October 13 through December 5, 2025, and the 2026–27 transfer/reassignment period ran March 16 through April 15, 2026. For a new request now, check the current School Choice page instead of using those closed dates as an active application window.
CMS transportation eligibility and address rules
Transportation is provided to eligible students who request service to and from the residence address recorded in the district student-information system. An accurate home address is therefore part of transportation eligibility, not just a mailing detail.
Address must stay current
CMS says address changes are processed through the student’s assigned school.
Home-school vs. lottery school
If a family moves and keeps a lottery-assigned school outside the new home-school zone, CMS says district transportation will not be provided for that placement.
2026–27 scale
CMS reports operating an average of 858 buses traveling about 99,500 miles daily, with roughly 110,235 students assigned to transportation services.
Eligibility can vary: grandfathered assignments, address moves and other individual situations can change the normal transportation rule. CMS tells families with specific eligibility questions to contact the school administrator.
Where to request a CMS transcript or student record
Student records are not the same as Board public records. For a currently enrolled CMS student, the school is normally the first contact. Former-student and agency requests may use the district’s Student Records department and online request services.
Current CMS student
Contact the student’s school for records. Exceptional Children guidance also directs currently enrolled students back to the school for records.
Former student
Use the CMS Student Records route for official transcript and former-student record requests.
Privacy reminder: do not send Social Security numbers, medical files, IEPs, custody papers, passwords or transcripts to an unofficial school-board website. Use the CMS school or official records system.
How to request a CMS public record
CMS public records are governed by North Carolina’s Public Records Act. A public-record request is for an existing record; CMS notes that a public agency is not required to create or compile a new record simply to answer a question.
Online
CMS provides a NextRequest portal for submitting and tracking public-record requests.
Email or phone
Public Records Office: publicrecords@cms.k12.nc.us or 980-344-7507.
Choose the right record system: a student’s transcript or confidential education file is not an ordinary public-record request. CMS provides a separate Student Records route.
CMS Board budget resources
CMS maintains a 2026–27 budget hub with Board work-session materials, community-engagement resources and the superintendent’s budget presentation. Use those documents when the question is about district funding rather than relying on a single meeting recap.
Board budget process
The 2026–27 resource list includes Board work sessions from December 2025 and February 2026 and the March 10, 2026 budget presentation to the Board.
Current budget documents
CMS publishes aligned budget resources and presentations on its Finance budget page.
CMS Board of Education office, phone and mailing address
Common CMS Board and school-system mix-ups
I need my child’s first school day
Use the child’s actual CMS academic calendar, not the Board of Education meeting calendar.
I want to speak at the October 27 meeting
General public comment is normally scheduled at the first regular meeting of the month. Check the Oct. 27 agenda for any designated public hearing before assuming a general comment period.
I registered but want a different school
Complete home-school registration first. School Choice, transfer and reassignment are separate processes.
I moved after receiving a lottery seat
Update the address through the assigned school and recheck transportation eligibility. Staying at an out-of-zone lottery school may mean losing CMS transportation.
I need an old transcript
Use Student Records rather than the Board office or Public Records portal.
I need a public CMS document
Check Diligent Community and the CMS website first. If the existing public record is not posted, use the Public Records/NextRequest route.
Official Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools links
CMS Board of Education FAQs
What does CMS Board of Education mean?
It refers to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, the governing body for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
How many members are on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board?
The Board has nine elected members: six district representatives and three at-large members. Members serve four-year terms.
Who is the current CMS Board Chair?
The current CMS Board directory lists Gregory “Dee” Rankin, District 3, as Chair and Liz Monterrey Duvall, At-Large, as Vice Chair.
When is the next CMS Board meeting after October 2, 2026?
The current CMS Board calendar lists a regular meeting on October 13, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, with closed session listed for 4:00 p.m.
Where are CMS Board meetings held?
Regular meetings are normally held in the Chamber Room at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, 600 East Fourth Street, Charlotte, NC 28202, unless another location is posted.
How do I sign up to speak at a CMS Board meeting?
Register by 5:00 p.m. on the day before the meeting using the public speaking form, by telephone at 980-343-5163 or by email at boardclerk@cms.k12.nc.us. Speakers must attend in person.
How long can I speak during CMS public comment?
The current Board rule generally provides two minutes per speaker. The Chair may reduce the speaking time based on the number of speakers or length of the agenda.
Where can I find CMS Board agendas and minutes?
Use the Diligent Community links from the official CMS Board page for agendas, minutes, policies, goals and other Board records.
When did traditional CMS schools start in 2026?
The 2026–27 traditional school year began August 25, 2026. Early College and other special calendars may use different start dates.
Does every CMS school use the same calendar?
No. CMS publishes separate calendars for Traditional schools, Hawthorne Academy of Health Sciences, Central Piedmont early/middle colleges and UNC Charlotte early colleges.
How do I enroll a new student in CMS?
Find the student’s assigned home school, gather the required documents and complete CMS online registration through Infinite Campus. The assigned school processes the enrollment after submission.
What documents does CMS require for registration?
CMS lists a certified birth certificate, immunization records, proof of residency and school records as core documents. High-school students need a recent report card or unofficial transcript, and additional documents can apply to Pre-K or custody situations.
Does a CMS School Choice seat guarantee transportation?
No. CMS says a student may attend a Choice program outside the transportation zone without being entitled to CMS transportation.
Where do I request a former CMS student’s transcript?
Use the official CMS Student Records route. Current students should generally contact their school.
How do I request a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools public record?
Use the CMS NextRequest portal or contact the Public Records Office at publicrecords@cms.k12.nc.us or 980-344-7507.
Use the right CMS page for the job
Board route
Use the Board pages for meetings, agendas, minutes, policy, public comment, members and Board governance.
Family-services route
Use Registration, School Choice, Transportation, Student Records or the student’s school when the issue is operational or student-specific.
Freshness rule: Board schedules, public hearings, school calendars, transportation assignments, School Choice availability and contact details can change. Use the official CMS page linked in the relevant section before submitting a form or traveling to an office.
Independent information guide: BoardofEducations.org is not Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, Mecklenburg County government or the North Carolina State Board of Education. Official CMS records and notices control if a current detail differs from this page.