North Carolina’s Largest School District To Enforce Absentee Policy
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…


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:
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.
25. St. David's School
Location: Raleigh, NC
Type: Private School
Grades: PK-12
Students: 606
Student-Teacher Ratio: 7:1
24. Wake NC State University STEM Early College High School
Location: Raleigh, NC
Type: Public/Early College
Grades: 9-12
Students: 256
Student-Teacher Ratio: 18:1
23. Ardrey Kell High School
Location: Charlotte
Type: Public
Grades: 9-12
Students: 3,437
Student-Teacher Ratio: 21:1
22. Marvin Ridge High School
Location: Waxhaw, NC
Type: Public
Grades: 9-12
Students: 1,929
Student-Teacher Ratio: 23:1
21. East Chapel Hill High School
Location: Chapel Hill
Type: Public
Grades: 9-12
Students: 1,540
Student-Teacher Ratio: 17:1
20. Christ School
Location: Asheville
Type: Private Boys Christian School
Grades: 8-12
Students: 294
Student-Teacher Ratio: 6:1
19. Chapel Hill High School
Location: Chapel Hill
Type: Public
Grades: 9-12
Students: 1,523
Student-Teacher Ratio: 16:1
18. Panther Creek High School
Location: Cary
Type: Public
Grades: 9-12
Students: 2,470
Student-Teacher Ratio: 21:1
17. William G. Enloe High School
Location: Raleigh
Type: Public
Grades: 9-12
Students: 2,337
Student-Teacher Ratio: 17:1
16. Trinity School of Durham & Chapel Hill
Location: Durham
Type: Private Christian
Grades: PK-12
Students: 561
Student-Teacher Ratio: 7:1
15. Green Hope High School
Location: Cary
Type: Public
Grades: 9-12
Students: 2,247
Student-Teacher Ratio: 19:1
14. Forsyth Country Day School
Location: Lewisville
Type: Private
Grades: PK-12
Students: 924
Student-Teacher Ratio: 10:1
13. Gaston Day School
Location: Gastonia
Type: Private
Grades: PK-12
Students: 505
Student-Teacher Ratio: 9:1
12. Greensboro Day School
Location: Greensboro
Type: Private
Grades: PK-12
Students: 878
Student-Teacher Ratio: 8:1
11. Ravenscroft School
Location: Raleigh
Type: Private
Grades: PK-12
Students: 1,232
Student-Teacher Ratio: 7:1
10. Salem Academy
Location: Winston-Salem
Type: Private Girls School
Grades: 9-12
Students: 70
Student-Teacher Ratio: 3:1
9. Charlotte Latin School
Location: Charlotte
Type: Private
Grades: K-12
Students: 1,469
Student-Teacher Ratio: 8:1
8. Charlotte Country Day School
Location: Charlotte
Type: Private
Grades: PK-12
Students: 1,738
Student-Teacher Ratio: 8:1
7. Asheville School
Location: Asheville
Type: Private Boarding School
Grades: 9-12
Students: 294
Student-Teacher Ratio: 7:1
6. Providence Day School
Location: Charlotte
Type: Private
Grades: PK-12
Students: 1,863
Student-Teacher Ratio: 11:1
5. Raleigh Charter High School
Location: Raleigh
Type: Public Charter
Grades: 9-12
Students: 569
Student-Teacher Ratio: 14:1
4. The Early College at Guilford
Location: Greensboro
Type: Public
Grades: 9-12
Students: 200
Student-Teacher Ratio: 25:1
3. Durham Academy
Location: Durham
Type: Private
Grades: PK-12
Students: 1,237
Student-Teacher Ratio: 6:1
2. Cary Academy
Location: Cary
Type: Private
Grades: 6-12
Students: 787
Student-Teacher Ratio: 8:1
1. North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Location: Durham
Type: Public STEM School
Grades: 11-12
Students: 680
Student-Teacher Ratio: 7:1