Rep. David Willis said he has heard from parents, teachers and staff who have lost confidence in the district and its elected board, and that the time has come to formally explore what smaller districts inside Mecklenburg County might look like.

"The conversation has been happening for decades here in Charlotte, and we think it's time to have that conversation," Willis said, adding that he wants a "good faith effort" at breaking up the system.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is the second-largest district in North Carolina. Similar breakup proposals have surfaced repeatedly over the years and stalled amid unresolved questions about funding, staffing and fairness. In 2018, state lawmakers authorized Matthews and other towns to create charter schools independent of the district, but those plans never materialized.

Willis could not say how his approach would differ from earlier attempts. He argued instead that the process should be stripped of partisanship and opened to public scrutiny.

"I think we've got an opportunity to remove some of the politics from this and have an open, honest discussion about what those districts could look like, what they should look like, and what would be fair and equitable to all of the districts, however many that may be," he said.

The push comes as the district reels from a turbulent stretch: the investigation and firing of its superintendent, along with several inquiries involving the school board. Willis pointed to those troubles as evidence that change is needed.

"Obviously they're having issues from a management and a governance perspective, and it's just time to have this conversation," he said.

Willis also said he is examining whether to force recall elections for sitting board members, and board members were notified of his intentions earlier in the week.

Board member Anna London, who chairs the committee leading the search for a new superintendent, pushed back sharply, saying a breakup would harm students and could create or intensify inequities across the county.

Willis said concerns about equity and other consequences would be studied carefully, with input from community stakeholders, before any bill is filed — a process he acknowledged could take years.

"And so we've got to do what's right for these families, for these students, and we don't need to delay any longer," he said.

The idea of a unified district is itself a product of consolidation. Charlotte City Schools and Mecklenburg County Schools once operated separately before merging to pool resources. Historian Tom Hanchett said the goal was to improve outcomes for all students.

"And indeed, Charlotte is known as one of the places that has better scores, test scores, graduation rates than most urban districts, because we are a mixture of urban and other areas all working together on the same problem," Hanchett said.

Willis said it is unlikely the issue would be taken up when the General Assembly convenes for its next full session, but he left open the possibility that it could surface in December.