As CMS faces funding cut, group pushes to keep support staff in schools
ByWSOCTV.com News Staff and Nicole D'Antonio
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As CMS faces funding cut, group pushes to keep support staff in schools
ByWSOCTV.com News Staff and Nicole D'Antonio
CHARLOTTE — Schools across Charlotte are staring at a financial cliff as billions of dollars in pandemic funding will expire this fall.
But there’s a nationwide push to keep some roles on the payroll.
More than four years after the COVID-19 pandemic started, the loss of learning is still being felt at schools across the country. Students continue to struggle with chronic absences and low test scores.
To help address the learning loss, districts received nearly $200 billion as part of the federal government’s “Elementary and S econdary School Emergency Relief Fund.”
The money went towards bringing in social workers, school nurses, behavioral and mental health specialists, and school counselors. More money also went to support students in low-income school districts.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools received nearly $200 million in funding. But that’s set to expire in September.
“My sincere hope would be school districts see the importance and the relevance of having these positions in schools and that they would continue those positions and funding for them,” said Jill Cook with the American School Counselor Association.
(Photos: The Charlotte area’s top 20 high schools for 2024)
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Top 20 high schools in the Charlotte area for 2024 These are the top high schools in the Charlotte area, according to U.S. News & World Report's rankings for 2024.
Bradford Preparatory School N.C. rank: No. 57
National rank: No. 1,982
Local rank in 2023: No. 20
Cuthbertson High School N.C. rank: No. 55
National rank: No. 1,884
Local rank in 2023: No. 15
Myers Park High School N.C. rank: No. 51
National rank: No. 1,692
Local rank in 2023: No. 18
Cox Mill High School N.C. rank: No. 50
National rank: No. 1,613
Local rank in 2023: No. 17
Northwest School of the Arts N.C. rank: No. 46
National rank: No. 1,452
Local rank in 2023: No. 11
Nation Ford High School S.C. rank: No. 12
National rank: 1,383
Local rank in 2023: No. 14
Catawba Ridge High School S.C. rank: No. 11
National rank: No. 1,369
Local rank in 2023: No. 19
William Amos Hough High School N.C. rank: No. 39
National rank: No. 1,096
Local rank in 2023: No. 13
J.T. Williams Secondary Montessori N.C. rank: No. 38
National rank: No. 1,093
Local rank in 2023: No. 8
Fort Mill High School S.C. rank: No. 7
National rank: No. 1,041
Local rank in 2023: No. 12
Charlotte Engineering Early College National rank: No. 914
Local rank in 2023: No. 16
Weddington High School N.C. rank: No. 32
National rank: No. 849
Local rank in 2023: No. 10
Community School of Davidson N.C. rank: No. 29
National rank: No. 820
Local rank in 2023: No. 3
Central Academy of Technology and Arts N.C. rank: No. 26
National rank: No. 751
Local rank in 2023: No. 6
Pine Lake Preparatory Academy N.C. rank: No. 21
National rank: No. 663
Local rank in 2023: No. 5
Marvin Ridge High School N.C. rank: No. 19
National rank: No. 589
Local rank in 2023: No. 4
Lake Norman Charter School N.C. rank: No. 15
National rank: No. 518
Local rank in 2023: No. 9
Ardrey Kell High School N.C. rank: No. 13
National rank: No. 505
Local rank in 2023: No. 2
Providence High School N.C. rank: No. 12
National rank: No. 500
Local rank in 2023: No. 7
Highland School of Technology N.C. rank: No. 10
National rank: No. 334
Local rank in 2023: No. 1
Cook and the association are pushing to keep those support staff members at schools, even after the funding runs out.
“They look at grades, they look at test results, they look at absentee rates and they see where there are trends. Then they can design interventions to help address those needs,” Cook said.
A report from the Education Recovery Scorecard shows gaps in academic achievement still remain in some states since the pandemic.
About $60 million of the funds CMS received went toward hiring 722 positions, many of which were guest teachers. A CMS spokesperson told Channel 9 back in February that all 722 employees could apply for 900 open jobs in the district.
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