Acclaimed CMS magnets face new fight

Published May 9, 2010 at 1:05 a.m.
Even as the magnet programs of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools bask in new national acclaim, the families that support them fear for their future.

Federal grants that brought in millions to the programs are gone. The county money that fills the gap is shrinking. The extensive - and expensive - busing system that makes magnets accessible to low-income families is a prime target for budget cuts.

On Tuesday, the school board will decide whether to save up to $5 million by scaling back neighborhood bus stops for students at 11 magnets, with four of those schools moving to later hours.

Magnet families are fighting the bus changes, saying they could force children of low-income and working parents to return to struggling neighborhood schools.

Polls of students at Berry Academy of Technology and parents at Smith Language Academy bolster those fears, with significant numbers indicating that students will have to leave because parents can't make the new "shuttle stops" work.

"They're afraid this could be the beginning of the end for Smith," said Smith parent Melissa Seuster.

Parents say the schools could end up catering mostly to middle-class and affluent students.

Low-income and minority students perform significantly better at many magnets than the same groups at neighborhood schools. This year half the students at the 11 magnets qualify for low-income lunch aid. Sixty-nine percent are black or Hispanic, groups that traditionally trail white and Asian students on test scores.

"The children who need it the most will be at risk," said CMS Magnet Director Jeff Linker.

CMS magnets are application-only schools that offer 11 specialized themes, including foreign languages, arts and the International Baccalaureate program.

About 19,000 students attend, roughly 14 percent of all students. But magnets attract some of the most engaged and motivated families, many of whom are now rallying to protect their schools.

Supporters' fears were fueled by Superintendent Peter Gorman's recent remarks noting the expense and suggesting that "at some point we're going to have to call the question about the role of magnets."

Money for desegregation

Most CMS magnets were created in the 1990s to meet court desegregation orders by enticing white students to schools in mostly black neighborhoods. Seats were awarded by race to reflect the makeup of the district, about 40 percent black and 60 percent "nonblack" at the time.

From 1993 to 2007, federal magnet grants pumped in millions. The most recent award, in 2004, brought in $5.6million to cover a three-year stretch.

But when CMS applied for another three-year grant in 2007, the feds said no. The reason? The grants were created to support desegregation. When federal courts overturned CMS's race-based plan, the magnet quotas disappeared and diversity faded.

This year, Linker says, officials reluctantly decided not to bother applying for the federal grants. That means county money is plugging the gaps - and the recession is sapping that source.

The state pays for most teachers at magnets, as it does with other schools. This year CMS said it is spending an additional $3.5 million on specialized magnet teachers and other faculty. An additional $631,000 is allotted to the magnet program overall, an amount that's been steadily shrinking.

Busing costs big bucks

The buses that cross the county shuttling kids to magnets are by far the biggest expense. CMS averages $1,542 a year to bus each magnet student, compared to $413 per student for neighborhood schools. That translates to an $11.6 million annual premium for the 10,301 students who currently ride buses to 20 full-magnet schools.

Last year, CMS attempted to cut transportation costs by consolidating bus stops in many neighborhoods, requiring a somewhat longer walk for many riders.

The proposed change for magnet students, however, would end neighborhood pickups for about 6,000 kids. They would catch buses at "shuttle stops" - 13 nonmagnet high schools spread across the county. Those sites for many magnet families will be outside of walking distance, requiring car trips of at least several miles.

Board chair Eric Davis told Smith parents last week that CMS remains committed to magnet programs, but the busing costs "stand out" as officials scour the budget for cuts.

Linker says many districts across the country set up magnets without transportation. But in CMS, he says, busing has long been part of the system.

Some board members say they'll fight changes that limit access, especially if disadvantaged kids lose opportunities.

Trent Merchant has been pushing to try fees for magnet busing, with the amount based on family income. Some parents agree. But Chief Operating Officer Hugh Hattabaugh said last week that no one in North Carolina is charging for bus rides, and state officials have not been encouraging.

"I don't know that we want to be the test case," he said.

Consider the value

Magnet families acknowledge the cost of their schools and say they're willing to seek solutions. But they worry that officials will overlook the value of magnets.

Consider Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology, which opened in 2002 in west Charlotte. The first few years it floundered, but last week Berry won a national award for its academic turnaround.

The success has come at a school where two-thirds of students are low-income and 85 percent are black or Hispanic.

When news of the shuttle stops broke, an information technology class at Berry set up a computerized survey. Students lined up at lunchtime to weigh in, with about half the 1,200 students responding. The results: 85 percent said they ride the bus to and from school, and 60 percent said shuttle stops will force them to return to neighborhood schools.

"A lot of people are upset," said Morgana Shorter, 15, who rides the bus from Huntersville for Berry's biotechnology academy.

Her brother, Duncan Shorter, a senior in information technology, worries that the changes will reverse the strides he's seen. "It will definitely change the demographics," he said.

Smith Language Academy, recognized last week as the nation's best magnet elementary school, sees itself as a showcase for a district whose motto is "Global competitiveness starts here." Starting in kindergarten, students are taught in Chinese, Japanese, French or German.

But that means if students leave after the first year or two, it's nearly impossible to replace them, because a student who doesn't know the language can't jump in. A poll of parents last week found that more than 120 of the school's 1,200 students might have to pull out because of later hours and/or shuttle stops. Because low-income parents were underrepresented among those who responded, the actual number could be higher, parent organizers said.

That could lead to the loss of teachers, parent Marc Gentile told CMS officials: "The more dropouts there are, the more likely it is that Smith becomes low-hanging fruit" for cuts.

What's the deadline?

Tuesday's budget vote isn't likely to end talks about how to make magnet busing work next year. Board members Davis and Merchant both say there's time - although not much - to keep working with families on details.

Most parents learned about the proposed changes from an April 24 article in the Observer. Many scrambled to gather information and convene meetings with CMS officials.

"It's good that we're having these meetings. I wish they'd happened earlier," Merchant said. "Shame on us for not doing it."

Soon after the 2010-11 budget is settled, the school board will begin grappling with tougher options for the following year, when the federal stimulus money disappears.

Gorman has said he expects to close 10 or more schools. The board plans to study student assignment, which will help decide which schools survive.

And once again, the value and the cost of magnets will be in question.

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