CMS is fortunate to have numberous business and community partners who provide resources and volunteer support to our schools. In 2001-2002, more than 33,000 volunteers contributed over 500,000 hours to CMS schools. Approximately 750 business partners provide assistance to the schools through $17 million in contributions, financial support and volunteer time.

CMS class size conforms to state requirements averaging 26 students in kindergarten through ninth grade and 29 students in tenth through twelfth grade. The Equity Plus program in CMS lowers class size in schools with high percentages of students who live in poverty.

The goal of CMS is to provide educational opportunities that encourage, challenge and motivate all students. Through the Exceptional Children's (EC) program, students with disabilities are supported and encouraged to develop and flourish through individualized instruction in the least restrictive environment.

CMS offers programs for EC students in the following categories: autistic, hearing impaired, mentally disabled, multi-handicapped, orthopedically impaired, behaviorally / emotionally disabled, speech-language impaired, traumatic brain injured, visually impaired and other areas. Classrooms, programs and services for EC students are located throughout Mecklenburg County

Other Special schools in Charlotte-Mecklenburg include:
Metro School (mentally and physically limited) Teen-Age Parents Services (TAPS; for pregnant students) Morgan School (for students with emotional and behavioral handicaps) Midwood High Evening School; Learning Academy (for students that have been expelled from traditional school settings) Management School (for middle school students who have been expelled from traditional school settings) Plaza Road, Tryon Hills and Double Oaks (house a pre-kindergarten program designed to prepare children for kindergarten and first grade)

After School Enrichment Programs have been established at 61 schools to serve the children of working parents. Before School Care is offered at seven of those schools. A weekly fee of $20 is charged for Before School for children not in After School Care and $13 for those in both. The weekly fee for After School Care is $42 for first child; $35 for second child; and $30 for third. This includes all school days and teacher workdays. Also offered is optional care for days which are school holidays during the winter and spring breaks.

With bulldozers rolling and construction crews hard at work, CMS is currently undergoing the largest building, construction and renovation program in the system's history. In 2002-2003, CMS opened with an additional 1.4 million square feet of space. The district opened four new schools and five replacement schools. Additional new facilities and renovation projects are scheduled over the next ten years to address the critical facility needs due to rapid growth and aging buildings.

North Carolina law requires all school systems to offer free transportation to any student who lives 1.5 miles or more from his or her assigned school. Special needs students are also guaranteed free transportation.

Currently, more than 1,100 buses serve CMS students and provide more than 4,600 routes daily. The system travels more than 127,000 miles each day and over 97,000 students use these services. The average bus ride is about 30 minutes.