Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Report Cards, 1991-1992

The Charlotte Mecklenburg School system (CMS) was founded in 1882 as a segregated public education system.

Leadership:

TJ Mitchell was the first superintendent of the segregated school district. The school system had many superintendents in the century following its opening. Professor JT Corlew served as the second superintendent from 1886-1888, followed by Dr. Alexander Graham, who took over as superintendent from 1888-1913. During Alexander’s time the school system became known as “the largest public school system south of Baltimore.” Alexander drastically changed the way the system was operated by developing a co-ed school and dropping Latin and Greek from the curriculum to make room for drawing and music. Under Alexander, a second school for White students opened in 1900, which was named “North School”. Dr. Harry Harding became superintendent in 1913, and during his time two schools were built: Alexander Graham High School and Central High School. J.W. Wilson served as superintendent from 1944-1960 and was responsible for consolidating many schools in the CMS system.

Other men and women who served in the superintendent role include: Dr. Elmer Garinger, Dr. A. Craig Phillips (1961-1967), Dr. William Self (1967-1972), Dr. Roland Jones (1973-1976), Dr. Jay Robinson (1977-1986), Dr. Peter Relic (1987-1991), Dr. John Murphy (1991-1996), Dr. Eric Smith (1996-2002), Dr. James L. Pughsley* (2002-2005) (*First African-American Superintendent), Dr. Frances Haithcock (interim 2005-2006), Dr. Peter Gorman (2006-2011), Dr. Heath E. Morrison (2012-2014), Ann Clark (interim 2014-2016), Dr. Clayton Wilcox (2016-2019), and Earnest Winston (2019-present).

The Black community had many notable leaders in education, to include Dr. James L. Pughsley, who served as the first African-American CMS superintendent from 2002-2005. He focused his energy on “academic success and rigor for all students.” His efforts led to the district being recognized by the Council of Great City Schools as “one of four urban school districts making outstanding gains in student achievement while narrowing the achievement gap.”

William U. Harris and B.D. Roberts are two other notable educators and advocators for the importance of quality schools and education for Black children.

Segregation:

The first school for white children was South School, located on the corner of East Morehead Street and South Boulevard. Myers Street School is remembered as the first school for Black students, which opened in 1882. It stood until the mid-twentieth century, when it was torn down as part of an urban renewal project. As of 2021, the site is part of the Metro School and Aquatic Center.

School consolidations began under Superintendent J.W. Wilson, (1944-1960), eventually merging the Charlotte City Schools with the Mecklenburg County Schools in 1960. Charlotte schools continued to be largely segregated, even after the 1954 Supreme Court decision on Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. There were no moves made toward integration for three years after the Brown decision.

On September 9, 1970, the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system was integrated. The first four African-American students to enter white schools were Delores Huntley (Alexander Graham Junior High), Girvaud Roberts (Piedmont Junior High School, Gus Roberts (Central High School), and Dorothy Counts (Harding High School). Gus Roberts graduated from Central in 1959. By 1964, Charlotte had 88 segregated schools (57 white, 31 black).

The slow integration of schools ultimately led to Swann vs. the Charlotte Mecklenburg Board of Education in 1965. Reverend Darius Swann and his wife, Vera, had served overseas in India as missionaries, where their son attended integrated schools. The Swanns understood and valued the opportunity for all students to learn from each other in an integrated setting. The Swanns argued that “children were able to transfer out of integrated schools, but not allowed to transfer into them, and that the law should be equally binding… otherwise the law is discriminatory.” By July 1965, Judge Braxton Craven ruled in favor of the Board of Education, justifying their steady progress of bringing an end to the segregated school system. Years later in 1969, the Swann case was refiled. Federal judge James B McMillan ruled that the school district was not desegregated and ordered Board of Education to submit a detailed plan for fully integrating schools.

In 1960, the Charlotte City and Mecklenburg County school systems were consolidated to become what is known today as the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. As of 2017, there are 170 schools in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School District, serving over 147,000 students. It is also one of the largest employers in Mecklenburg County, with over 19,000 employees.