Archive for the 'Cotswold' Category

Ch…Ch…Changes | Myers Park versus East Meck High Classroom Showdown

September 17th, 2009 categories: Charlotte Schools, Cotswold, Dilworth, Eastover, Landsdowne, Myers Park

Well all heck has not quite broken out yet, but it’s brewing! Two of Charlotte’s venerable high schools may soon be pitted against each other as result of Charlotte’s continuing growth and evolution. As with any growing city Charlotte’s neighborhoods are changing and the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System (CMS) is scrambling to keep up.  Most recently CMS was faced with the unpopular but ultimately defensible? decision to have Mint Hill kids attend Independence High School versus the newly minted (sorry) Mint Hill HS – again few were happy but such is the byproduct of growth!

Change is brewing (listen) now in the heart of Charlotte, in the legacy neighborhoods that define our city, Myers Park, Cotswold, Eastover, Dilworth and Lansdowne. Whether or not YOU live in one of those neighborhoods you know this is going to impact you, it’s going to impact all of us as Charlotteans! The argument goes….Myers Park (I am a Myers Park grad ‘79) high school has too may kids and East Mecklenburg not enough – but clearly it is NOT that simple.

The impact of this one will undoubtedly be more than simply realigning some student assignments – there’s talk that the immensely popular and successful International Baccalaureate (IB) program might even move from Myers Park to East Mecklenburg – sounds draconian to me but it’s on the table! As the Charlotte Observer said today.. As soon as the plans went online “Parents in the Dilworth neighborhood began organizing within the hour” – the Observer has a good story on this today the first of MANY to come I’m sure. And her’s a link to the actual CMS proposals with maps so you can see for yourself the impact this is going to have.

So what does this mean for homeowners who live in the affected neighborhoods? It depends of course on what happens and when but it does not look good for some home values. Like it or not (and it is always subjective) but homes in the Myers Park district tend to sell better then those in the East Meck district or for that matter other districts — that goes too for South Mecklenburg which shares boundary lines with Myers Park. I like to think this is more due to Myers Park preeminence as opposed to South or East’s performance – in fact both of those High Schools have enjoyed a resurgence the past few years and it wasn’t long ago East Meck was a shining star for CMS! BUT the reality is for now home values and saleability may be impacted and if you live in or want to live in one these neighborhoods you need to pay close attention and take action as appropriate. I don’t have the answers but would be happy to talk with you and or neighbors about the situation and to offer options.

For now my hope is that two of Charlotte’s grandest educational institutions will be able to coexist successfully, that the only battles will be on the playing fields and that the freedom and spirit exhibited in their mascots the eagle and the mustang will prevail!

Spoken by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: 7 Comments »