CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Parents’ Bill of Rights requires districts to notify parents of any physical or mental health services, meaning parents now have to give consent for things like vision and hearing screenings.
"If you want Black families to participate why are you making it so hard," Colette Forrest, a CMS parent, said.
Forrest said the new process can be time-consuming and confusing.
"It's complicated you’ve got to be familiar with the Google Chrome platform and you have to complete a new form for each child," said Forrest.
CMS board member Stephanie Sneed said the process is overlooked for most families with the majority not responding to permission requests which is sparking some concerns.
"A lot of times the school system is the first to find out there is an issue with vision and hearing," said Sneed. "Those things directly impact the children’s ability to receive information and participate in the classroom."
The chart from the school board shows more than 58,000 students were eligible to take part in sex education, but less than 22,000 submitted consent forms.
Data for dental, hearing, and vision screenings were even lower, showing less than 10% of kids enrolled.
"If you can't see the chalkboard or if you can't hear the teacher, we need to make sure those barriers are removed," Sneed said.
As the district works to increase plunging participation, parents like Forrest are pushing for a less complicated process.
"The vast majority of parents should be opted in automatically, and those who don't choose to participate can simply opt out," Forrest said.
As the district continues to urge families to fill out consent forms, they say they're also looking at ways to make the opt-in process a lot easier.
CMS leaders say it's not too late if you want to opt in, click this link to do so.