CMS lottery spurs confusion
Results appeared to ignore sibling and continuation guarantees, and the program’s transportation-zone prioritization
The following article appeared in the Jan. 7, 2026, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with smart and original local news for Charlotte. We offer free and paid subscription plans. More info here.
CMS school choice lottery results are in — and parents are not happy
by Lindsey Banks
Charlotte parents flooded Facebook groups on Tuesday after Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools released school choice lottery results that appeared to ignore sibling and continuation guarantees, and the program’s transportation-zone prioritization.
Several parents said their children were placed far down on waitlists, including siblings who expected guaranteed seats and students they say should have received priority based on transportation zones. Among them was parent Vanessa Indriolo Vreeland, whose fifth-grade son applied to the same CMS choice program next year at Randolph Middle School that her seventh-grade son attends. She found out Tuesday morning that her younger son was placed in the 200s on the waitlist.
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