CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- New data from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools showed the district is battling chronic absenteeism. That's where students miss an alarming number of days in the classroom.
Last year, nearly 20,000 students were absent for 90 percent of the school year, which could land parents in court.
In North Carolina, parents are responsible for making sure their children are attending school. If the student has too many unexcused absences, parents could face criminal truancy charges.
CMS defines chronic absence as students who’ve missed more than 18 days out of class. Most of those absences are happening in five of the district’s high schools: Vance, Garinger, West Charlotte, Harding, and West Mecklenburg.
Those schools have chronic absence rates above 30 percent. The district said those schools also have a high poverty rate.
Like most school districts, CMS follows a state law that says if your child misses ten or more days of school without good reason, the parents could face charges.
It’s also the law in South Carolina. In the Palmetto State, it’s illegal for students to have more than five unlawful absences.
Last year, three Charlotte parents faced criminal charges because their elementary school children had major truancy problems. One student missed 70 days of class.