2017 E Barden Rd
Charlotte, NC 28226

My child attended 6th-8th grades at Carmel. All 3 years were met with disappointment for multiple reasons. Upper administration is terrible. They don't respond to email, messages or requests directly from a student for assistance (for the student directly or their parent needing assistance). Teacher turnover is high, with many classes being taught by long term subs for weeks to months. Also my child had teachers not fully licensed who had no business teaching at the middle school level. The haves bully, embarras, cut down, judge and demean the have nots. A group of kids (same ones year to year) distracted multiple different subjects all 3 years. Often the same kids who bullied others. There are no consequences for the problem kids. They protect the kids who come from affluent and locally known families. They don't want parent involvement unless it is financial support, helping to run the student store, EOG proctors, or buying things for teacher support week. They don't want you checking up on your child's learning or trying to deal with issues outside normal middle school issues. Administration delegates everything to other people with a constant lack of follow up. I heard "I didn't know you were waiting on a response/follow up from me, I thought someone else was dealing with that, I never saw your email/got the message, or I thought that was dealt with/no longer an issue" multiple times throughout the 3 years my child attended. Continual excuses. The morning drop-off is a pain but the afternoon pick-up is a nightmare. If your child had a good experience at Carmel consider yourself (and them) lucky.

Our experience with this school and its staff has been nothing short of devastating. Our son entered first grade(in 2023) as a happy, affectionate, easygoing kid — within months, he was unrecognizable. The environment took such a toll on him that he grew persistently sad, took blame for things that weren't his fault, and found himself apologizing on reflex even when he hadn't done anything wrong.The teacher let him down in every way imaginable. Instead of stepping in to help, she suggested he had a mental health diagnosis that no professional had ever confirmed or even evaluated. It felt less like genuine concern for his wellbeing and more like a push to label him and medicate him simply to make him more convenient to handle in class. They tried to build a record on him with no backing. He was bullied and punched in the face with zero consequences for the child who hit him. He was not safe. They disregarded his concerns and showed repeated evidence of racist prejudice towards him and despite my crying out for understanding and support, my concerns were ignored by staff and upper administrators. School leadership offered no better. The assistant principal never once contacted us about our concerns. The counselor, who was new to the position, gave us no meaningful help and never circled back. When we took our complaints to the superintendent, they were brushed aside entirely, leaving us with no further options to pursue.By the end of it, our son walked away sad, frustrated, and without a single new skill gained academically. We have spent the past year homeschooling and repairing the damage done by this school and it’s staff and rebuilding our sons self esteem. This school was a disappointment from top to bottom, with staff who matched it every step of the way. I wouldn't wish this experience on any other family. Protect your children and send them anywhere else.

My daughter spent 4 years here and loved it. (She is now at UNC Chapel Hill). Took Advance Placement classes all 4 years, enjoyed dances & sporting events, and had some fantastic teachers. Buildings are independent of each other which allows kids to get outside during class. Have been impressed by leadership during the covid era and after. My son is attending South Meck now and is currently a sophomore. While he is not nearly as academic as my daughter, his teachers have been great at communicating with me regarding his progress in class. The population at South is very diverse and the students get along very well. The Language magnet brings some great language teachers to the school as well. In a city of more than a dozen high school, we are very happy at South- My kids are proud to be Sabres!