CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has suspended more students than any other school district in North Carolina, according to a report by the Department of Public Instruction.
The report found schools in Mecklenburg County reported more than 23,600 short-term suspensions during the 2015-2016 school year, while Wake County, the largest school district in the state, reported just over 11,500.
School leaders have been pushing to lower the number of school suspensions, especially among children in the third grade and below.
Reporter Tina Terry asked CMS why there are so many suspensions this year.
They said it was due to the spike on an increase in local crime.
Parent Christie Bruton was caught off guard by that large number of CMS students suspended last year.
"When crime rates in the local community increase, we tend to see more incidents in our schools,” a representative for CMS said.
Bruton, who's complained in the past about violence at West Meck, said some suspended students are contributing to crime and getting into more trouble out of school.
"The kids suspended are breaking in houses, you have drugs, a lot of kids have been killed from not being in school," she said.
CMS said short term suspensions are usually given to students who break the 'least serious' parts of the student code.
Bruton questions whether many of them are necessary and she wants CMS to find a way to suspend students, but still keep them in school.
"There are a lot of kids that make a mistake, they're suspended, but they're still willing to learn,” she said.
CMS also said short term suspensions increased from last year by 1,400.
Superintendent Ann Clark said CMS is committed to handling minor incidents with alternatives to suspension.
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