Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Back-to-School First Day Readiness Guide 2026/2027
What You Need to Know Before the First Bell
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) students return to classrooms on August 25th. That's just two weeks away. To help parents and students prepare, CMS has launched a new First Day Readiness Guide to help families prepare for the upcoming school year.
The CMS Back To School Readiness Guide 2026/2027 brings together all the essential back-to-school information in one place, including:
Student Information
- Register (new to CMS)
- Download Infinite Campus
- Complete Back-to-School forms
- Verify contact information
Health
- Submit required immunization and health forms
- Submit medication/allergy forms
Meals
- Apply for Free & Reduced Meals
- Set up PayPAMS account
- Review breakfast & lunch menus
Transportation
- Create an AlphaPortal and sign up for the bus
- Download AlphaPortal
- Confirm bus stop & times
Stay Connected
- Download ParentSquare
- Turn on notifications
- Verify language & contact information
Know Your School
- Save the school calendar
- Confirm arrival & dismissal
- Review supply lists on school website
- Attend open house
Find More Resources At:
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Family Portal
Frequently Asked Questions: Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) is the public school district serving Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, which includes the towns of Pineville, Matthews, Mint Hill, Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville.
As the second-largest school district in North Carolina, CMS serves more than 141,000 students across a large and diverse school community. CMS is also the 16th largest school system in the nation.
How large is the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools System?
CMS is the second-largest school district in North Carolina.
For the 2025/2026 school year, the district reported 185 schools and facilities, including:
- 102 elementary schools and K–6 Montessori schools
- 45 middle schools and K–8 schools
- 34 high schools and special high school programs
- 4 special program sites
How diverse is the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools student population?
CMS serves an exceptionally diverse community. Current district statistics report that CMS families represent 177 countries and speak 151 languages and dialects.
What are the student demographics in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools?
The CMS student body is racially and ethnically diverse. District demographic data puts the student population at approximately:
- Black/African American: 34.7%
- Hispanic/Latino: 30.6%
- White: 23.8%
- Asian: approximately 7%
- Multiracial/Other: approximately 3.8%
Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino students together represent nearly two-thirds of the CMS student population.
What is the student-to-teacher ratio in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools?
The overall CMS student-to-teacher ratio is approximately 16.5 students to one teacher.
How many people work for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools System?
CMS currently reports 18,079 employees working throughout the district.
What is the CMS graduation rate?
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools currently reports an overall graduation rate of 84.4%.
Does CMS offer Advanced Placement courses?
Yes. CMS currently reports 38 Advanced Placement courses, giving high school students opportunities to complete college-level coursework while still in high school.
How is a student's assigned CMS school determined?
A student's home school is generally determined by the family's residential address and the attendance boundaries established by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
CMS provides school-assignment resources that families can use to determine the elementary, middle and high schools assigned to a particular residential address.
Can students attend a school other than their assigned home school?
Yes. In addition to neighborhood schools, CMS offers School Choice programs that allow students to apply for specialized educational programs based on their interests and educational needs. Families can select up to three School Choice options. Available seats are allocated through the lottery process, with certain guarantees and priorities applying, including continuation, sibling and transportation-zone priorities.
CMS currently offers 16 Choice programs across 71 schools in three transportation zones.
What types of School Choice programs are available?
CMS School Choice includes a variety of specialized programs and instructional approaches. Depending on the school and grade level, choices include:
- International Baccalaureate
- Montessori
- STEM and STEAM
- World Languages
- Visual and Performing Arts
- Leadership
- Cambridge
- Career-focused programs
- Virtual learning
- Early College
- Middle College
Program availability and entry requirements vary by school and grade level.
How does the CMS School Choice process work?
A student must first be registered with CMS and have a CMS student ID before the family can submit a School Choice application.
School Choice seats are allocated through the district's application and lottery process. Certain guarantees and priorities can affect placement, including sibling guarantees and transportation-zone priorities.
Applying earlier during the designated lottery application period does not give a student a better chance of receiving a seat.
What happens if a family missed the 2026/2027 School Choice lottery?
Families who missed the regular lottery can still pursue available options through the CMS late-entry/waitlist process.
The student must first be registered with CMS and have a student ID. Families can then complete the waitlist interest process and submit selections for programs with potential availability.
Does a student have to reapply for School Choice every year?
No. Once a student has been accepted into a School Choice program, the student can generally remain in that program through its terminal grade as long as the student remains enrolled in CMS and meets the program's continuation requirements.
Does CMS offer Early College and Middle College programs?
Yes.
Early Colleges are specialized high schools, often beginning in ninth grade, that allow students to complete high school requirements while taking substantial college-level coursework. Depending on the program, students may be able to earn significant college credit or even an associate degree while completing high school.
Middle Colleges typically begin in 11th grade and operate on community college campuses. Students complete their remaining high school requirements while earning college credits in a smaller and more flexible learning environment.
What documents are needed to register a new CMS student?
Families enrolling a new student should be prepared to provide:
- Completed student enrollment form
- Birth certificate or other proof of the student's age and legal name
- Proof of Mecklenburg County residency
- Current immunization records
- Health assessment for children entering a North Carolina public school for the first time
Families should also keep the student's CMS ID number once registration is completed because it is needed for several district services and programs.
Are immunization records required?
Yes. Students must meet North Carolina immunization requirements.
CMS advises families to make sure immunizations and health records are current before school begins, including any required health assessments, medication forms and documentation needed by the school nurse.
Is a health assessment required for students new to North Carolina public schools?
Yes. Children entering a North Carolina public school for the first time must submit proof of a health assessment within 30 days of the start of school.
Does CMS provide school bus transportation?
Yes. CMS provides transportation to students who are eligible under the district's student-assignment policies.
For the 2026/2027 school year, CMS expects to:
- Operate an average of 858 buses
- Travel approximately 99,500 miles each day
- Provide transportation assignments to approximately 110,235 students
Families who need bus transportation must indicate that their student intends to ride.
How can parents access student information?
CMS uses Infinite Campus for student information. Families should download or access Infinite Campus and make sure their contact and student information is accurate before school begins.
How does CMS communicate with parents and families?
CMS uses ParentSquare for school and district communications.
Parents should download ParentSquare, enable notifications and verify that their contact information and preferred language are correct so they receive school and district messages.
What should families have ready before the first day of school?
CMS families should take care of the major first-day essentials before school begins:
- Register students who are new to CMS
- Download Infinite Campus
- Complete Back-to-School forms
- Verify contact information
- Submit required immunization and health forms
- Submit medication and allergy forms when applicable
- Apply for Free & Reduced Meals if eligible
- Set up a PayPAMS account
- Review breakfast and lunch menus
- Create an AlphaPortal account and register for bus transportation if needed
- Download AlphaPortal
- Confirm bus stop locations and times
- Download ParentSquare
- Turn on ParentSquare notifications
- Verify language and contact information
- Save the appropriate school calendar
- Confirm school arrival and dismissal procedures
- Review the school's supply list
- Attend the school's Open House
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