Butler HS students have to make up day missed following deadly shooting

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Students at one CMS school will have a school day they’ll have to make up as a result of the May 1 teacher rally in Raleigh.

Butler High School is alone in needing to make up that day as it also had a day off following the deadly shooting there earlier this school year.

A CMS source told Channel 9 the school is six hours short of the state requirement for minimum hours for the school year.

The day that put them over the edge was May 1, when all CMS schools were closed because of the teacher rally in Raleigh.

Since Butler missed a day after the tragic shooting last October, they were the only school not in compliance with state law, and without making up that day, students would not be eligible for grade promotion or graduation.

Students received that extra day in October after police said Jutwan Cuffie shot Bobby McKeithen inside the school.

School leaders canceled classes the next day to allow students time to grieve.

Butler High School’s last day of school will now be Monday, June 10, instead of Friday, June 7.

Channel 9 has been told the make-up day will have a social and emotional support element to it after all that's happened.

Cuffie is due in court on Thursday.

Below is the message sent o Butler High School parents:

Butler High School families,

This is Principal John Legrand calling with important information about our schedule here at Butler. I want to relay share this information point by point for our understanding.

• As you know, we began healing after tragedy struck our campus with a day away from classes at school.
• This was absolutely the right decision for all of us.
• Our reality now is that, by law, North Carolina requires a minimum number of instructional hours for our students within a school year.
• We must meet this minimum requirement to ensure our students graduate or move on to higher grade levels next year.
• In order for our Butler community to meet these requirements, we must offer instructional time between now and the end of the school year to make 100% certain our graduates and students here meet all requirements.
• The last things g anyone wants is for there to be any doubt that our graduates and those moving up next year have met legally required instructional time.
• To do this, we will offer a special day of educational programs and designate a test make-up day on Monday, June 10.
• Here are some facts and options considered:
• CMS has waived all make-up days available within North Carolina statute for this school year.
• Option 1 - Seeking a special waiver from the North Carolina legislature. As a district, we were unable to obtain an additional waived day.
• Option 2 - Adding 15 minutes to each day. This option was ruled out due to challenges for transportation, meals and other logistics.
• Option 3 - Offering a special day of educational programs during a test make-up day on Monday, June 10. For students who choose to participate in this offered instruction, our focus will be on peer support training, mental health and community building.

 
To review, Monday, June 10 will serve as a day for make-up testing and the offering of special programs for our students here at Butler.

This year has been challenging for our community and we remain Butler strong. We have all worked hard to bring light out of a dark time. Our community and those around us have been #butlerstrong with us and I know we will close this year stronger than ever.

Thank you for your support of our Butler High School community.

Cox Media Group