MacKenzie Scott donates $5 million to organization fighting education inequities in Charlotte
CIS-Charlotte works to ensure every student, regardless of race, zip code, or history of marginalization, has what they need to succeed in school and beyond.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - MacKenzie Scott is donating $5 million to Communities In Schools of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Inc. (CIS-Charlotte).
CIS-Charlotte works to ensure every student, regardless of race, zip code, or history of marginalization, has what they need to succeed in school and beyond.
The organization announced Thursday it is the recipient of an unprecedented $5 million donation, the largest single gift in CIS-Charlotte’s history.
This gift is part of a transformative $133.5 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott to the Communities In Schools Network and National Office.
In addition to the CIS National Office, 40 affiliates of the 110 organizations in the CIS Network are also direct recipients of the MacKenzie Scott donation.
CIS-Charlotte is one of the affiliates selected by the donor.
“This is going to transform the work that we do in this community,” CIS-Charlotte CEO Men Tchaas Ari said.
In a time when the global pandemic has created unparalleled challenges for students and families, including experiences of social isolation, economic crisis, stress, and trauma, this investment will help CIS-Charlotte further its mission to break down the systemic barriers that stand in the way of opportunity and student success.
“It’s going to allow us to expand our programming and really make sure that every kid in this community gets a fair shot. That they aren’t handicapped just because they live in a certain zip code or on a certain side of town,” Ari said.
CIS-Charlotte currently serves over 4,000 students in 54 Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS).
In the 2020-2021 school year, 99 percent of students enrolled in CIS Charlotte’s programs remained in school, with 96 percent of K-11 students being promoted to the next grade, and 96 percent of seniors graduating or receiving a GED.
CIS-Charlotte’s strategic plan informs its top three priorities this year:
- To reengage students in their education – including those who stopped attending school altogether during the pandemic, as well as those who are “physically present” in school yet who have suffered significant social-emotional losses and academic setbacks
- To expand programming to support more students attending under-resourced schools
- To enhance the agency’s college and career readiness programming to ensure that every student has a post-graduation plan for success, whether that is college, the military, entering the workforce or a trade.
The CIS CEO says with more money - they can hire more staff to assist in other branches across the country - which means getting extra resources to thousands of more students.
“The 3,000 staff that we have inside schools working alongside of our principals and teachers the hope that we now have is about expanding to touch more lives and impact more students,” CIS CEO Rey Saldaña said.
This money will also help CIS-Charlotte take care of students’ emotional and physical well-being including extra food, housing support, technology access for remote learning and healthcare.
All resources needed to help students succeed inside of the classroom too.
“Your educational experience will be the best that it can be and this gift is going to help us do that work,” Ari said.
The president of CIS Charlote says they’re still working our specifics on the number of staff they’ll need and identifying more at-risk schools in CMS.
The plan is to eventually expand to other school systems in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area.
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