When I first saw this story this morning, there is only one thought that popped in my head. And honestly, when ANY of us of a certain age have the notion of school absences brought to our attention, the first and only thing that comes to mind is this famous scene from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
“Nine times.” Still great. And apparently, nine is indeed the magic number. The official policy regarding school absences in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School District is if a student has 10 unexcused absences, parents could face criminal prosecution and a complaint could be filed with the juvenile court. They could also be referred to social services.
And now, the district plans to begin enforcement of this policy. The problem arose in the years following the Covid-19 global pandemic. For many, and obvious reasons, kids were not present in the classroom.  In fact, according to WCNC, data shows last school year North Carolina’s chronic absenteeism rate was 31% that’s double what it was in 2018. This means thousands of North Carolina students missed 10% or more of school days.
No surprise, this lack of attendance led to drop in test scores. And this is not good.
CMS Superintendent Crystal Hill has stated that although policy enforcement is a priority, drastic measures like social services referral will be a last resort. Intervention is and will be the primary course of action. School officials will seek to get parents involved and invested in their students attending school every day. I agree. And I like that word, invested.
We all need to be invested in our students’ education and future. And school attendance is a huge step in the right direction.
List: Top 25 Best High Schools In North Carolina
Choosing the right school for your child can feel like the most important decision in the world. It’s a factor in where you purchase a home. Should you shell out the big bucks for private school education? How can you set your child up for success? So many parents stress about these decisions for years and years. Good thing Niche.com is here to help with rankings of schools and universities across the country. They recently released their 2023 rankings of schools. This includes K-12 as well as higher education. You can play around with the filters and view the rankings based on a variety of factors. One of the more intriguing, and important levels of schooling is high school. Preparing for college, gaining admission to the best colleges, and even getting credit hours under your belt is so important. So what are the best high schools in North Carolina? Let’s find out.
For this list, we are looking at both public and private schools. The good news the number one spot on this list is a public school. Though it’s a specialized one. The rest of the is mainly private schools (and multiple in Charlotte!) with a couple of public schools mixed in. You also will see two Charlotte area public schools in the Top 25. But where did these rankings come from you may ask? According to Niche:
The 2023 Best High Schools ranking is based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Ranking factors include state test scores, student-teacher ratio, student diversity, teacher quality, grade school ratings, and the overall quality of the school district. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.
If you’re struggling with where to send your child to school hopefully this list will help you narrow it down. These are the 25 best high schools in North Carolina.
