The latest estimates from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools show more than 30,000 students were absent Monday, the first school day since Border Patrol deployed in Charlotte.
CMS cautions that all attendance data remains unofficial until finalized by the state. But overnight attendance conversions suggest there were nearly 10,000 more absences than initially believed. At 30,399, that amounts to more than double the number of absences last Monday and around 20% the total enrollment.
CMS told WFAE data variances are common and there are several reasons why the data varies, including discrepancies over whether Pre-K students are included in the data and overnight conversions of students who were tardy but didn’t meet required instructional minutes so are retroactively marked absent. These latest numbers remain unofficial, CMS said.
Elementary schools with high Hispanic student populations accounted for some of the lowest attendance rates.
At Sterling Elementary School, where more than 500 of the school’s 700 students are Hispanic, only about 34% of students were listed in attendance. That was the lowest attendance rate out of any elementary school. Other elementary schools with attendance rates in the 30s included Montclaire Elementary School and Nations Ford Elementary School.
At the majority-Hispanic Garinger High School, nearly half the student body was reported absent.
The North Carolina Association of Educators and its chapter in Charlotte released a statement Monday night about reports of high absences and is calling on CMS to create a “CMS-wide communication command center” to allow schools to let parents know their kids are safe and to respond to community needs.
"There were reports of an unusually high number of student absences, a clear sign that families were afraid to send their children to school," the groups said in a joint statement Monday night. "This is wrong — full stop."
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has not offered an explanation or made any officials available to discuss the absences, but in recent days, education leaders have expressed concern that enforcement could drive up absenteeism.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration changed federal policy to allow immigration enforcement operations in previously protected places like churches and schools. There have not been any immigration enforcement operations conducted on school grounds here in Charlotte, but last year, a parent was detained near the Charlotte East Language Academy.
