CMS + DNC = Never a dull moment

This could have been a ho-hum start of school for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.  For the first time I can recall,  there are no schools opening or closing,  no major changes in student assignment or transportation.

But the Democratic National Convention sweeps into town the week after school begins,  and that creates a raft of headaches and opportunities.

Everybody's wondering which schools,  if any,  will get celebrity visits.  CMS spokeswoman LaTarzja Henry told me exactly what I'd heard from convention reporter Tim Funk:  You don't get much advance notice on these things.  Funk reported on rumors that Michelle Obama will visit the Garinger High garden.  But as Henry noted,  lots of schools grow their own vegetables,  and they're all hoping the first lady drops in to promote her healthy eating campaign.

Teachers report to work next week,  and they'll be talking about ways to incorporate the DNC into civics and social studies lessons.  One option is out:  CMS is banning field trips that week.  That's not to say CMS would reject a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,  such as a school being invited to be part of a key event,  Henry said.  But teachers can't just pile their class in a bus and head uptown to check things out.

Meanwhile,  various groups are contacting CMS to ask about visiting schools and/or having students attend events.  CMS is setting up a system for vetting such invitations and deciding how to handle them.

One challenge I hadn't thought of is the potential for employees skipping work to take in all the excitement.  Henry said officials are emphasizing that they need everyone on the job to keep schools running that week.

Carol Stamper and her transportation staff have spent weeks planning for this epic traffic jam.  Here's the plan:

Normally,  about 325 buses  --  more than one-third of the active fleet  --  would drive on I-277 or through the convention area without making stops.  CMS has routed them around that area for the first two weeks of school.  Once the convention is over,  they'll go back to the more direct routes.  That may mean some changes in pick-up and drop-off times.

About 400 students live within the 277 loop,  and CMS has 40 stops in that area.  Up to a dozen extra buses will be pulled off the lot to make only those runs during convention week.  Normally,  each bus serves three or even four schools each morning and afternoon,  which means one delay can ripple across the county.  This way even if a few kids are delayed by convention snarls,  the hassles should be contained.

Irwin and First Ward elementaries and Metro School will have early dismissals on one or more convention days; read the details here.  On early dismissal days,  parents have the option of having their children board a bus and go to a special after-school program at a site outside the convention zone.

Despite all the planning,  it's a safe wager that something unexpected will crop up and that some will call CMS leaders idiots for keeping schools open.  Then again,  it's equally certain that they'd have been lambasted if they'd closed schools.  And Superintendent Heath Morrison does still have the option of making a last-minute call to close some schools,  just as he could in case of a power failure or bad weather.