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CMS school board candidates: District 5

WCNC Charlotte Education Reporter Shamarria Morrison spoke with all 18 people running for a CMS school board seat this election.

WCNC Staff

WCNC Charlotte

Published: 4:33 PM EDT October 24, 2022
Updated: 5:06 PM EDT October 24, 2022

There are 18 people running to be school board members in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School District. The open positions are District 1, District 2, District 3, District 4, District 5 and District 6.

There are four incumbents in the race: Rhonda Cheek (District 1), Thelma Byers-Bailey (District 2), Carol Sawyer (District 4), and Sean Strain (District 6).

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools could see as many as six new people representing the second-largest school district in North Carolina. Elections for school boards in the Charlotte area are nonpartisan. Nonetheless, over the past few years, it’s continually been more difficult to separate school board business from political and social culture wars.

School board meetings prior to COVID-19 were relatively mundane, sparsely attended and procedural.

During the height of the pandemic, meetings that historically would have a few dozen people watching online suddenly had thousands watching at any given time.

The race for the CMS school board in 2022 will arguably be one of the most consequential and watched. 

CMS is continuing its overview of school boundaries and buildings in anticipation of the 2023 bond referendum. The new school board will also vote for the next superintendent of CMS at a time when most of its students are performing at levels below college and career readiness.

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