CHARLOTTE – The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education officially approved the construction of Stumptown Elementary, a proposed Huntersville elementary school that should relieve overcrowding at nearby Torrence Creek Elementary.

The board awarded an $11.75 million contract to Matthews Construction Co. to build the yet-to-be-named unnamed school at its Tuesday, April 24, board meeting. Torrence Creek opened in 2005 to hold about 800 students. The school enrolls at least 1,200. Trailers have dotted Torrence Creek’s ball fields since the day it opened.

Voters approved construction of the Stumptown Road school in 2007, but lack of funds kept the project on hold. A group of Torrence Creek parents banded together late last summer to encourage Mecklenburg County and school district officials to make the school’s construction a top priority after the county announced plans to resume debt issuance.