New state report card shows crime is up in CMS schools

The North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction unveiled a newly redesigned school report card website Tuesday with new data from the 2016-17 school year.

The report indicates that crime is up in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district.

The state tracks crime on school grounds, including assaults and bringing a gun to school.

In 2016-17, there were 6.7 criminal acts per 100 students.

In 2015-16 that number was 5.8, and that's more than the 2016-2017 state average – 0.53.

A category that decreased was short-term suspensions, 10 days or less out of school.

According to the data, in 2015-66 there were 79.1 short-term suspensions per 100 students. In 2016-17, there were 28.8 suspensions.

"I think if they can monitor what the children are doing at school, they can control their actions there," one parent said.

The district has worked on lowering short-term suspensions.

Another major focus for CMS has been closing the achievement gap.

This past spring, the CMS Board of Education voted to change school boundaries to make schools more diverse.

The newly released data shows the huge gap that exists.

For third- through eighth-grade students, nearly 85 percent of white students were found to be grade-level proficient; black students were at 46.4 percent, Hispanics were at 49.9 percent and economically disadvantaged students were at 44.8 percent.

Those numbers are slightly higher than the state average.

"That's really sad," one CMS parent said.

"How do we fix that problem? Is it changing school lines, and seeing who that affects?" another parent said. "Or is it what's going on at home?"

Another statistic CMS has worked on has been the graduation rate, which is higher than the state average at 89.4 percent.

CMS sent Channel 9 the following statement on the results:

"Each year, the state measures the performance of each school, assigning a letter grade based on growth and proficiency. The results show that there is work to be done across the district to improve both growth and proficiency, while accelerating overall school performance. The district is committed to making our community vision of preparing every child to lead a rich, productive life a reality and will build on successes to leverage for the academic achievement of all students in every school."

On the crime statistics:

"The safety and well-being of students is a top CMS priority and the district will continue to seek improved methods of addressing student behavior, including support for their emotional social and mental health as a top priority. CMS is in discussions with community partners to leverage effective support for students in these areas."

On the achievement gap:

"The district has been working to address the needs of all students. Closing achievement gaps and disparities remains a top priority across the district, and that work will continue as we continue to seek improved academic performance for students and as measures to involve families in the process of student assignment and choice evolve to best meet their needs."

Cox Media Group