Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board: Meet Your 2025 Candidates

Charlotte residents are heading to the polls for the 2025 municipal elections, with a significant focus on electing members to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) Board of Education. With Election Day on November 4th and early voting recently concluded, WBTV reached out to candidates to understand their priorities for our children’s future.

Understanding the CMS School Board Election

This year’s election is crucial for shaping the direction of CMS, one of the largest school districts in the country. Beyond school board members, voters will also decide on the Mecklenburg County Transportation Sales Tax Referendum, which proposes a one-cent sales tax increase to fund local transportation improvements. Your vote directly impacts both our educational system and community infrastructure.

Key Issues Driving the Conversation

Candidates across various districts consistently highlighted pressing concerns for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community and its schools. These include improving student academic outcomes and closing achievement gaps, strengthening teacher recruitment and retention, enhancing school mental health support, ensuring equitable resources across all campuses, and rebuilding community trust through transparent communication. Many also touched on effective governance, fostering family engagement, and preparing students for post-graduation success in college or career.

Meet Your Candidates: Priorities and Perspectives

Here’s a concise overview of what each candidate believes are the most critical challenges and their proposed solutions for CMS:

Robert Edwards (District 4)

A CMS teacher and policy writer, Edwards focuses on teacher retention, mental health prioritization, and parental involvement. He plans to reallocate Title I funds for social workers and counselors, expand early literacy, and hold the board accountable for visibility. He’d champion a Title I Resource and Accountability Plan.

Toni Emehel (District 6)

A long-time parent-volunteer, Emehel runs to address a lack of effective representation and board dysfunction. Her top issues are public trust, honest communication, campus safety, and educator support. She plans to enhance classroom support, foster community partnerships, and review policies hindering teacher return. She seeks policies for strong parent/community engagement and teacher retention.

Bill Fountain

Fountain believes CMS has strayed from academic excellence, prioritizing social agendas. He advocates for a return to meritocracy, character development (virtue-based SEL), and basic academics. He sees the board as lacking courage to prioritize academics over politics (like DEI). He’d revise the SEL framework to focus on virtues.

Charlitta Hatch (District 1)

As a parent, business leader, and doctoral candidate, Hatch aims to refocus the board on students, avoiding politics. Her priorities include student outcomes, teacher retention, community trust, and strategic growth. She emphasizes early literacy, culturally responsive teaching, and data-informed interventions. She would champion a Family, Educator, and Community Engagement Accountability Policy.

Shamaiye Haynes (District 2)

Haynes seeks effective solutions for the achievement gap, leveraging her experience as an advocate in Title I schools. She prioritizes building trust, accountability, addressing achievement gaps, and safety. She plans to expand the community schools model. She would establish a policy framework for voluntary adoption of the community schools model across CMS.

Jillian King

A former CMS teacher, King is driven to advocate for underserved students and teachers. Her top concerns are CMS’s response to ICE, transparency, and teacher retention. She proposes a Safe School Resolution and boosting volunteer coordination to reduce teacher workload. She would first pass a Safe Zone Resolution and then review existing policies for equity and fidelity.

Anna London (District 6)

A former educator and current workforce leader, London focuses on ensuring students and educators have support and resources, bridging education and opportunity. Her top issues include achievement gaps, educator burnout, and communication. She plans to enhance early literacy/math, empower educators, and expand career-connected learning pathways.

Stephanie Sneed (Chair, Board of Education)

Running for re-election, Sneed highlights her leadership in stabilizing the district, achieving record academic gains, and implementing student-focused governance. Her priorities are closing achievement gaps, teacher recruitment/retention, restoring public confidence, and strategic resource use. She aims for strong execution of existing policies to drive student success.

Cynthia Stone

A retired elementary teacher with corporate experience, Stone is driven by social justice. Her top issues include mental health (early intervention, counselor ratios), school safety, teacher recruitment/retention/respect, and achievement gaps (equity, ESL support). She would advocate for a policy on technology use for young children, reflecting their developmental needs.

Superintendent Hill’s Performance: A Mixed Review

Candidates offered varied assessments of Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill’s performance, reflecting both commendation for progress and calls for improvement. Here’s a brief summary:

While some candidates lauded Dr. Hill for bringing stability and achieving academic gains, others pointed to persistent issues such as teacher retention and discipline. Several candidates, citing the board’s oversight role or limited direct interaction, opted not to assign a specific letter grade.

Voter Information for Charlotte-Mecklenburg

As Election Day approaches, ensure you have all the necessary information to cast your ballot:

• How can I find my polling place?
  Your specific polling place for Election Day is assigned based on your residential address. You can find it by visiting the North Carolina State Board of Elections website.
• Can I see a sample of my ballot before voting?
  Yes, registered voters can look up a sample of their ballot, along with voter details and absentee ballot information, on the North Carolina State Board of Elections Voter Search portal.
• Is it still possible to register to vote?
  While the general deadline for the Nov. 4 election has passed, eligible North Carolina residents could register and vote on the same day during the early in-person voting period, which ended on Nov. 1. You would need a current ID and proof of residency.
• How do I drop off an absentee ballot?
  If you are voting by mail and it’s too close to Election Day to mail your ballot, you can drop off your completed absentee ballot directly at your county board of elections office.
• What is the Mecklenburg County Transportation Sales Tax Referendum?
  This referendum proposes a one-cent sales tax increase in Mecklenburg County (from 7.25% to 8.25%). If approved, the funds would go towards improving roads, rail, and buses to address traffic congestion and enhance transit options across the county.

Your vote in these local elections has a direct impact on the quality of education for Charlotte’s children and the future infrastructure of Mecklenburg County. Take the time to review the candidates’ stances and make your voice heard on Election Day, November 4th.

Meet Your CMS School Board Candidates