CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — Landscapers carried weed-whackers and hopped on lawnmowers on Friday at Beverly Woods Elementary School in south Charlotte, and they had plenty to do.
Tall weeds and even taller grass has grown all over the playgrounds and picnic tables.
"It looked terrible," parent Keith Hurley said.
Hurley said he's watched the grass grow for weeks and became so fed up that he called code enforcement.
On Saturday, he said he and other parents plan to do more yard work that they think should be the district's responsibility.
Unprecedented budget cuts have forced Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials to make tough decisions. At a time when hundreds of teachers are losing jobs, leaders decided to cut back on the number of times they mow lawns each year all over the district.
While Hurley acknowledged that cutbacks save money, he said schools still need to live up to a certain standard.
"I'm not saying manicured lawns," he said "I'm saying maintain it, and if you can't maintain it, tell the parents and we'll maintain it."
CMS officials said while they are mowing less, each school will be maintained by the start of the school year.
• Back-to-school information
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