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Friday, May 2, 2025 • Vol. 25 • No. 18
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Partnership paves way for shared school, museum & park space by Justin Vick justin@cmgweekly.com
MATTHEWS – Town Manager Becky Hawke has shared details of a partnership that could lead to Matthews Elementary School, a Discovery Place Kids
museum and a downtown park sharing the same campus.
The plan involves Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools replacing Matthews Elementary School on its existing property with a new building that incorporates the Discovery Place Kids
museum under the same roof. Once the school moves into the new space in 2029, the older building will be converted to a downtown park. “There are so many positives to this project, it’s hard to think of any downside,” Hawke told commissioners
April 28. For starters, Hawke said the community will save 50% off of construction costs with the design, site development and construction of the replacement school and museum being combined into one project. Hawke said the site will be
designed in a way that allows for on-property queuing that gets vehicles off Trade Street. The school and museum may get separate entrances to prevent traffic from one slowing down access to the other. The project would also create a much larger
Greater Matthews Habitat rocks the block in Mint Hill
Stumptown Park, which could lead to bigger events. Town staff and CMS are currently getting appraisals and surveys done on the sites, which will help determine the exact boundaries Story continues, see PARTNERSHIP page 3A
CMS school board approves 2025-26 budget CHARLOTTE – The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education approved the 2025-26 budget for CharlotteMecklenburg Schools at the April 22 meeting by a 5-3 vote.
Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity has organized four Rock the Block events, including two in Mint Hill.
Photos courtesy of Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity
MATTHEWS – Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity focused on exterior maintenance and beautification efforts April 25 during its latest Rock the Block event.
The effort involved painting, pressure washing, landscaping and mowing six homes in a Mint Hill neighborhood. The nonprofit says these efforts play a role in preserving safe, decent and affordable housing for homeowners in the Greater Matthews area. The day of service is designed to ensure families can remain in safe and well-maintained homes without the burden of unaffordable upkeep costs. This event is held in partnership with the Town of Mint Hill and in collaboration with the Canopy Housing Foundation as part of its annual Realtors Care Day.
Realtors Care Day, which takes place during National Fair Housing Month, is a community-wide project that assists homeowners with exterior home repairs and provides adaptive and safety modifications for those in need. “Rock the Block is a powerful example of what happens when community partners come together to uplift neighborhoods,” said Natisha Rivera-Patrick, president & CEO of Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity. “We are proud to return to Mint Hill and continue working alongside the town and Canopy Housing Foundation to preserve affordable housing and strengthen the sense of belonging for local families.” Want to help?
Email volunteer coordinator Liz Sweeney at liz@habitatmatthews.org if you're interested in
bringing a Rock the Block event to your neighborhood or would like to get your group involved as volunteers for a future event.
McCool: I’m not seeking re-election, but I’m not going far By Ken McCool Contributor
After a lot of thought and reflection, I’ve decided that I will not be seeking re-election to Ken McCool the Matthews Board of Commissioners this fall. That wasn’t an easy decision, but it’s the right one for me right now. When I first took office at 21 years old, I promised to serve
Matthews with energy, honesty and a commitment to doing what’s right. I’ve kept that promise close to heart at every meeting, during every vote and in every conversation with residents. Over the past few years, we’ve accomplished a lot together. We brought Fire Station #3 to life, expanding coverage and ensuring faster emergency response for more of our community. We made the largest investment in attainable housing in our town’s history, helping more working families afford to live here. And we laid the
foundation for the biggest investment in parks and infrastructure in decades, which is something I believe will define the next chapter of Matthews. Because of work like this, our town was recently named one of the Top 10 Best Places to Move in North Carolina. That recognition isn’t about any one commissioner, it’s about our shared values, our commitment to each other and the kind of community we continue to build. From the start, I believed local government should be transparent,
welcoming and focused on people and not divisive politics that turn people away. That belief has guided every decision I’ve made and every fight I’ve taken on. So while I won’t be running this year, I’m not going far. I still believe in the power of public service. I still believe in Matthews. And I’m more hopeful than ever for what’s ahead. You’ll be hearing from me again soon. I promise. Ken McCool is serving his third term on the Matthews Board of Commissioners.
The vote came after a Jan. 18 joint meeting with county commissioners, a Feb. 18 budget work session, numerous stakeholder feedback sessions and an April 8 public hearing, where constituents shared their thoughts. The budget requests $667,579,849 in operating funds from Mecklenburg County and includes: • A 3% salary increase assumption for all staff, including teachers and classified staff, based on recent state trends. • An average 5% increase in teacher supplements to remain competitive. • Ongoing investments in teacher growth and professional development. • $8.3 million to support the second phase of the Classified Compensation Study, which addresses long-standing pay disparities for classified staff. • $2 million for student devices to ensure they all have access to digital learning tools. The budget aligns with board-created goals, the strategic plan and CMS’s pillars of excellence. As CMS enters the 2025-26 budget year, the district faces the challenge of operating with less funding for critical resources due to the loss of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. “We must make strategic decisions to balance priorities and sustain essential services. I believe this budget does that,” Chair Stephanie Sneed said. “The budget is focused on maintaining services while investing in staff, students and technology which are essential to achieving the board's goals in the areas of reading and math, and ensuring students are on track to being enrolled in higher education, gainfully employed with a livable wage, or enlisted in the armed services.” School board members Melissa Easley, Lisa Cline and Summer Nunn voted against the budget. Each spoke about the need to ask for increased teacher pay. “Teachers should not be priced out of living in the communities that they serve,” Easley said. The approved budget will be shared with county commissioners on May 7.