But at the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce’s Power Luncheon last Thursday at Kabuto Japanese Steak House, the notoriously low-key Hattabaugh was shoved in the spotlight as the keynote speaker for a program examining the state of education within the county system.
The highly-volatile topic, which triggers parental passions and protests throughout north Mecklenburg, would normally be enough to enliven even Hattabaugh’s Ben Stein-like demeanor, but on this day it was the audience that easily overshadowed the subject as most of the 15 candidates running for three at-large seats on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, along with a healthy dose of hopefuls active in various municipal elections throughout north Mecklenburg, bathed in the business-oriented climate and took the opportunity to backslap, schmooze, mingle and be seen.
In his comments, Hattabaugh, a veteran administrator who served as superintendent of the Northeast Learning Zone and in other CMS capacities prior to accepting the one-year appointment as interim superintendent, said the system was dealing with the usual bumps and scheduling adjustments associated with the start of the school year. He also provided an overall optimistic outlook for the future and hit the right hot-button issues for his Lake Norman audience.
Hattabaugh said CMS is pushing forward with plans to make funding for the new Stumptown Elementary School a priority. He reassured the crowd that construction of the new school, which is expected to provide long-sought relief for overcrowding at Torrence Creek Elementary in Huntersville, will be approved next spring with a targeted opening date of August 2013 for the new school.
Hattabaugh said the district has added about 500 new teaching positions, but there is still a need for certified instructors in math and science and staff openings in the programs for exceptional and special needs children. The lingering needs in those specific areas have fueled interest in exploring other “delivery systems,” according to Hattabaugh.
“Virtual classrooms could be used,” he said. “When you can’t hire a licensed, certified teacher in a particular field, that may be an option.”
In reference to the current school year, Hattabaugh said the change to different start and dismissal times at schools, which enables buses to double-up on routes and serve multiple schools each day, was implemented as a money saving move. He said there were, as expected, some scheduling snafus and delays during the first few school days, but overall savings are expected to be significant.
And Hattabaugh said the district, already bracing for a $7 million decrease in funding next year, will continue to look for ways to cut costs. He added that a sometimes controversial approach to critically evaluating performance — in the classroom and at the administrative level – will also continue.
