Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Will Shut Down Niner University Elementary in 2025

The school board voted to end its ties with Niner University Elementary School by mid-2025. Low enrollment and aging facilities pushed officials to make this call.

Since its start in 2020, student numbers stayed well below the planned 300-student mark for 2023-24. "After careful consideration and in an effort to do what is best for all students, we have made the decision not to renew our NUES Memorandum of Understanding," CMS told Yahoo News.

UNC Charlotte expressed disappointment. "The University is committed to supporting the school's staff as well as the affected students and families during this transition," they stated to Yahoo News.

As Charlotte's sole lab school, UNC Charlotte's Cato College of Education ran the program. CMS supplied the building, transportation, and meals.

Parent Shanterrious Jordan spoke out against the closure to WCNC Charlotte: "We need that school right here. All day, every day. What y'all talking about? What are they going to do? Why would they move a school that's been here for years?"

The school took up space in a fixed-up wing of James Martin Middle School. It aimed to give kids from struggling districts and those who needed different teaching methods a fresh start.

The district has started working on the next steps. Their team will assist families in finding new schools, while staff members can seek positions elsewhere in CMS.

School sign-ups for the next year will start in the summer. Officials promise a smooth switch when doors close in 2025.