Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leaders are considering a magnet program overhaul, including converting EE Waddell into a full comprehensive high school.
CMS leaders and board members discussed the proposal at a board retreat, which began Thursday and concluded Saturday. The plan would be part of a larger district effort to streamline program choice and consolidate resources, Deputy Superintendent Melissa Balknight told board members.
EE Waddell, located on Nations Ford Road in southwest Charlotte, currently houses just a virtual program and the district’s PACE program for students who are learning English. A number of previous plans for the school have failed to stick: the district floated moving the PACE program to Garinger High School in east Charlotte due to low enrollment and transportation concerns, but a hasty proposed rollout met opposition from the community in 2024. A proposed aviation magnet program at the school also failed to get off the ground…