Cheaper Charlotte rent, home price cuts revealed in CMS plan to recruit teachers

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools on Thursday announced plans it hopes will attract and retain teachers with reduced rents, lower home prices and even complexes built by the district itself.

CMS announced plans for the district's new "At Home in CMS" housing initiative that district leaders say is among its "innovative solutions to support or educators." It's doing it by collaborating with local developers and corporations.

"Our educators are the backbone of our district, and we want to do everything we can to recruit and retain the very best for our students," CMS Board Chair Stephanie Sneed said Thursday at a media event held at Esperanza Global Academy.

In a district survey, 93% of teachers in CMS responded they are most concerned about housing costs, Sneed said. Around 61% said housing costs could affect whether they continue to work in the district.

North Carolina fell to 38th nationally for overall teacher pay last year and is projected to fall to 41st this year, according to a report from the National Education Association. The state continues to trail neighboring states like Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia when it comes to teacher pay.

The state-determined base pay for beginning teachers in North Carolina is $41,000 this school year. With the added county supplement, starting teachers in CMS will make around $48,600.

Meanwhile, the estimated income for a renter to afford most one-bedrooms in Charlotte is $61,000 per year, according to a 2022 study from Smart Asset.

CMS Superintendent Crystal Hill said the district will continue to advocate for higher salaries from state government but hopes the new housing initiative can help educators with the cost of living and attract and retain teachers. CMS competes for talent with neighboring districts in both Carolinas, where the cost of living is generally lower.

"Investing in our community's children isn't just the right thing to do. It's the smart thing to do," Hill said. "This is just an additional strategy of what we can do right here. We continue to advocate all the time for increased pay at the state level."

Nancy Brightwell, the district's chief of retention, recruitment and talent development, says the plan has three phases: rental assistance, homeownership assistance and newly built housing for educators.

Rent assistance CMS partnered with three local developers – Ascent Real Estate Partners, Laurel Street Residential and DreamKey Partners – to offer reduced rent for teachers at a combined 42 properties in the district. Those properties have around 2,000 units combined.

The program is limited to new teachers and those already employed at 34 schools in CMS with the most staffing needs. Schools include Garinger High, J.M. Alexander Middle and Nations Ford Elementary, among others. A full list of those schools can be found on the project's website .

It also has a tool that allows educators to locate eligible properties closest to their school.

"Our district is also actively encouraging rental communities in Charlotte to waive deposits, offer discounts and take other steps to help our teachers find a home," Brightwell said.

Homeownership assistance Developers will provide townhomes at reduced cost to CMS educators at the district's high-need schools. Truist Bank will also offer $30,000 per home to further reduce cost at a limited number of homes dedicated for CMS teachers.

"Our district recognizes that homeownership is part of many people's long-term vision for their lives," Brightwell said. "We want to keep that vision within reach for our teachers."

Brightwell said the district will raise awareness about existing housing assistance, such as what's currently available through House Charlotte that offers down payment assistance for as much as $50,000.

The district also will host housing fairs and financial literacy webinars.

New housing complexes Perhaps the biggest lift of all, the district plans to build a $30 million complex of 100 rental units reserved for educators on CMS-owned land. The project is projected to be complete in 2027 — but the plans are not final.

The district seeks to raise the money for the project from private investors. Charlotte City Council's housing committee unanimously recommended setting aside $1 million in federal money to support the project last summer.

The proposal raised eyebrows when it was first announced this summer, with some educators saying they found it insufficient – or even offensive.

"Educators are struggling to pay their bills, and this is a Band-Aid," Ayumi Nagano, a former CMS educator, told The Charlotte Observer in June. "It's a slap in the face because what really needs to happen is they need to pay teachers more."

Others were glad the district was taking some steps to help with the cost of living.

"Anything that we receive as help, I don't believe that any of us would turn it down," Genita Nashville, a current CMS educator, said Thursday. "When it comes down to having somewhere to stay versus not having anywhere to stay, or being able to purchase food, for example, anything at this point is gonna be helpful."

Hill said she believes the district's plans were initially misunderstood.

"I think sometimes when people respond, it's because they don't have a full understanding of the broader strategy," she said. "I think, perhaps, that response was an absence of the full context. I think I would challenge anyone now to have any type of ill feelings about what we're trying to do for our educators, now that they see the broader picture."