CHARLOTTE — Absences at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools nearly tripled Monday, the first school day since Border Patrol began its operation in Charlotte, compared with the same day a week earlier, according to records.
On Nov. 10, there were 9,975 unexcused absences. On Nov. 17, there were nearly 21,000 unexcused absences, which is 21% of the total number of students enrolled.
Customs and Border Protection have been in Charlotte since Saturday to crack down on illegal immigration. They are expected to stay until Friday.
Montclaire and Nations Ford elementary schools, which are both along the South Boulevard corridor, saw attendance rates around 35% Monday. Last week, they were at 94% and 93% attendance, respectively.
View the interactive map below on CMS attendance percentage.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools sent Channel 9 a statement Monday regarding student attendance amid the immigration enforcement operation in Charlotte.
“Daily attendance is unofficial data until finalized and approved by the state. Unofficial attendance data from today indicates that approximately 20,935 students were absent from school today. This accounts for approximately 15% of students enrolled in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. The number of students absent today varied across our 185 schools and across various student groups,” the district said in the statement.
“A school representative will contact parents/guardians when their child accumulates 3, 6 and 10 unexcused absences. After 10 unexcused absences, the principal’s designee or attendance official will issue a 10-day letter stating that the student is in violation of the NC attendance law and parents may be referred for prosecution and the Department of Social Services notified.”
“Unintended consequences”
During the CMS school board meeting on Tuesday, Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill confirmed that no immigration enforcement activities have occurred on CMS campuses, despite reports from parents and a teacher of border patrol agents near schools.
Dr. Hill addressed concerns from community members who demanded remote learning due to the presence of federal law enforcement near campuses.
She explained that going remote could lead to unintended consequences, such as thousands of students missing meals and lacking access to school-based support.
“Going remote may address one concern, but there are multiple unintended consequences, thousands of students without breakfast or lunch, thousands of students that don’t have access to school-based caring adults,” said Dr. Crystal Hill.
Community members also raised concerns about the district potentially reporting parents to the district attorney for truancy violations.
However, Dr. Hill did not address whether CMS would penalize families keeping students home this week.
The CMS school board continues to face pressure from parents and teachers regarding safety concerns and the implications of federal law enforcement activity near campuses.
The district’s decision against remote learning reflects a balance between addressing safety concerns and ensuring student access to essential services.
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