CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Republican state lawmaker is drafting legislation to divide Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools into smaller districts and force new school board elections, a proposal that could dramatically reshape public education in Mecklenburg County.

North Carolina state Rep. David Willis, a Union County Republican, has not publicly released details of the proposal, which could dramatically reshape North Carolina’s second-largest school district and replace its elected governing board as the district faces mounting scrutiny over its finances and leadership. CMS board member Anna London told The Charlotte Observer that a member of Willis’ staff called her Tuesday afternoon to notify her that legislation was being drafted.

“All he said was that he was calling to give a heads up and to let me know that a bill is being drafted to break up the district, which would force a recall election,” London said.

When she asked about the proposal’s timing and specifics, London said the staffer had no additional information. The staffer told her he was contacting every member of the school board.

“I believe that breaking up the district would be harmful, and I’m not sure what they are trying to solve for,” London said. “But I am willing to be collaborative and have conversations about whatever it is that they’re trying to solve for.”

The Charlotte Ledger first reported the planned legislation Wednesday.

The proposal comes less than two months after the CMS board voted 5-4 to fire Superintendent Crystal Hill amid allegations involving the district’s contracting practices and financial oversight. The FBI, State Bureau of Investigation and state auditor are examining matters involving the district.

It’s unclear how the proposed legislation would advance through the General Assembly, particularly after Democrats won control of the state House in last week’s elections.

Willis, who has represented Union County since 2021, is a co-chair of the House K-12 Education Committee. He had publicly raised the possibility of breaking up CMS last month.

In an Oct. 5 post on X, Willis criticized the district’s leadership following reports of a federal investigation into the school system.

“CMS leadership is in shambles,” Willis wrote, while praising the district’s principals and teachers for keeping schools running. “It is time the General Assembly steps in and takes action. I think it’s time for a task force to look at breaking up CMS.”

Willis did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

A spokesperson for Republican House Speaker Destin Hall said Hall has not yet seen the proposed legislation and deferred questions to Willis. Mecklenburg County Republican Rep. Tricia Cotham, co-chair of the House Education Committee, said she did not know any details about the proposal.

Could the legislature actually break up CMS?

North Carolina lawmakers are scheduled to return to Raleigh on Monday, before newly elected legislators take office in January.

Republicans currently control both chambers. But Democrats won a majority in the House on Nov. 3 for the first time in 16 years, while Republicans are poised to retain control of the Senate with a narrower majority, changing the political landscape for legislation Willis might introduce next year.

The General Assembly’s adjournment resolution restricts which matters lawmakers can consider during the remaining 2026 sessions. One exception allows legislation concerning election laws, including districts for elected officials.

Lawmakers could also attempt to advance the proposal by replacing the language of an existing bill with provisions to restructure CMS, a legislative maneuver sometimes known as a “gut-and-amend.” That could provide a vehicle for legislation that has not yet been introduced.

Another possibility is legislation that applies specifically to Mecklenburg County. Under the North Carolina Constitution, qualifying local bills are not subject to the governor’s veto, although they still must pass both legislative chambers.

Still, the mechanics of breaking up a school district are far from straightforward.

North Carolina law establishes procedures for merging school districts but no general statutory process for dividing them, according to an analysis published by EducationNC in 2019. Lawmakers would therefore need to establish how CMS could be separated into smaller districts.

A legislative committee studied the possibility of dividing large school districts in 2017 but did not recommend a specific process for doing so. Its final report also found existing research did not establish a clear relationship between school district size and student academic performance.

CMS serves approximately 140,000 students across Mecklenburg County. It’s the second-largest district in the state behind Wake County Public Schools.

Would breaking up CMS solve its problems?

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Arthur Griffin said Wednesday he opposes dividing the district but would support an election to recall its current board members.

Griffin, who chaired the school board from 1997 to 2002, said he had not heard about Willis’ proposal before news reports surfaced Wednesday. He recalled local discussions roughly 30 years ago about splitting CMS into northern, central and southern districts but said he had never heard of state lawmakers pursuing such a move.

“Breaking it up, I would go really slow,” Griffin said. “There’s so much we haven’t considered, even about the viability of the districts. It sounds easy, but there are a lot of deep challenges.”

CMS was formed in 1960, when the Charlotte City Schools and Mecklenburg County Schools systems merged into a single district. The consolidation was intended in part to expand educational opportunities and address disparities between the two systems.

He questioned how the change would affect county taxpayers and the funding of separate school districts.

“Not just for the school board, but for taxpayers. Are you going to break up the taxpayers into three districts?”

Griffin was more critical of the current school board, which has faced divisions over district leadership and oversight. Something needs to change, Griffin said.

“Right now, we’ve lost our way,” he said.

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