Cabarrus County voters will decide Tuesday, Nov. 3, whether to approve $340 million in school bonds that would raise property taxes an estimated $42.50 per year for every $100,000 of assessed value. Five days before that vote, the Cabarrus County Schools (CCS) Board of Education Finance Committee meets for a work session.

The Finance Committee session is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 29, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the board room of the CCS Education Center at 4401 Old Airport Road in Concord. The district posted the meeting notice Oct. 27, and the agenda is available on the Diligent portal. Specific agenda items were not listed in the publicly available portal excerpt.

What's on the ballot

If approved, the bond would allow Cabarrus County to borrow up to $340 million for school construction, renovations and facility improvements across CCS and Kannapolis City Schools. The ballot language, as reported by Inform Cabarrus, estimates the cumulative cost over the life of the bonds at $530,780,800, including $190,780,800 in interest.

A separate ballot question asks voters to authorize up to $60 million in bonds for capital projects at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, with an estimated tax impact of $7.50 per year per $100,000 of property value.

Proposed projects

The district's Bond 2026 page lists the proposed projects:

  • On-site replacement of Central Cabarrus High School, built on the current Highway 49 site while students continue attending the existing building
  • Conceptual design for a new southern high school
  • HVAC and plumbing work at Winecoff, Rocky River, Bethel and Mount Pleasant elementary schools
  • Roof replacements at A.T. Allen Elementary, C.C. Griffin Middle, Patriots Elementary, Harold E. Winkler Middle and J.N. Fries Middle
  • Parking improvements at W.M. Irvin Elementary, Harris Road Middle, J.N. Fries Middle, Weddington Hills Elementary and W.R. Odell Primary

County officials have estimated combined capital needs for both school districts will exceed $1 billion over the next decade, driven by enrollment growth, aging facilities and major maintenance needs, according to a September Cabarrus Compass report. CCS Superintendent Dr. John Kopicki and other officials presented at community forums this fall to answer questions about the proposed bonds.

Voting details

Early voting began Oct. 15 and runs through Saturday, Oct. 31. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Many CCS school buildings will serve as voting precincts that day, and Nov. 3 is a teacher workday with no classes for students at traditional schools.

The Finance Committee's next scheduled meeting after Thursday is Nov. 19.