CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is missing out on federal funding that helps unhoused children due to a paperwork error, the district told WCNC Charlotte.
A source shared with WCNC Charlotte's Julia Kauffman that the CMS McKinney-Vento program is losing funding.
After pressing the district for answers, a spokesperson confirmed it did not receive federal money for the program last year or this year.
"Due to a paperwork error under previous leadership, CMS did not receive grant funding for McKinney-Vento services in the 2023-24 or 2024-25 school years," a district statement said.
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The McKinney-Vento Act requires school districts to offer vital services for unhoused children like meals, transportation, and more.
States receive federal money for the program and dish it out to school districts. However, since CMS mistakenly missed out on the money, it has to cover the costs with its budget.
A spokesperson for CMS said there are nearly 5,500 students in the district experiencing homelessness. The goal of McKinney-Vento is to give them a fair chance to succeed in school.
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"Being able to have somebody to get them to school, being able to have some sort of support to get them where they need to be on time every single day, that's the hardest thing," Marissa Patti-Marshall, a clinical family social worker with Charlotte Family Housing, explained.
It’s unclear how much money the district lost out on, but the state had over $7 million to dish out to districts the last two years.
"I didn't even know that that happened, so I'm proud of them," Patti-Marshall said. "It's really great to hear that they're continuing to make it work."
Patti-Marshall works directly with McKinney-Vento and the school district's social workers.
A CMS spokesperson shared the following statement:
Despite the setbacks, Patti-Marshall said it’s important to keep focus on the students.
"These parents are so hard-working, and they're asking for help and they're taking the scary steps, but the kids are kind of along for the ride, and they sometimes don't understand all that's going on," Patti-Marshall said.
The district spokesperson also said CMS has increased its total number of support social workers from 110 to 143 this year.
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