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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…

Charlotte schools to enforce absentee policy
Pexels/Ron Lach

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

Charlie Nance is the Afternoon Drive co-host (along with his wife) of "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The couple have been with the radio station since 2006. Charlie has won the prestigious CMA (Country Music Association) Award for Radio Personality of the Year and has been a finalist for the Country Radio Hall of Fame four times. Prior to his time in Charlotte, Charlie (along with Debbie) spent more than a decade hosting successful morning radio shows in Greenville, SC; Augusta, Ga; and Birmingham, Al. As a content creator for Country 1037, Charlie writes about dream lottery windfalls, sports, restaurants and bars, and travel experiences in North and South Carolina.