Poverty, language and disability: Trends in CMS

While no one would say CMS educators have it easy,  some of the most challenging student populations have leveled off or dwindled in recent years,  according to data in the 2014-15 budget plan.

The number of students with disabilities or limited English proficiency has dropped since 2008,  even as overall enrollment has risen  (see charts on pages 88-91 of the 310-page budget book).

In 2008-09,  Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools had 14,743 students classified as  "special needs,"  or 11 percent of enrollment.  This year there are 13,532 special needs students,  or 9.5 percent.  The Exceptional Children Services budget, however, seems to be growing,  from about $105 million in 2008-09 to more than $122 million this year,  with another increase proposed for 2014-15.

I'm not sure what that means;  I've asked CMS officials but haven't yet gotten a reply.  The district's budget books used to include descriptions of significant changes with every departmental budget.  The last couple of years,  those numbers have come with no written explanation.

Students classified as having limited English proficiency have gone from 18,407 in 2008-09  (13.7 percent)  to 15,176  (10.6 percent).  The budget for that department appears to be holding fairly steady.

Poverty,  as measured by students who qualify for federal lunch subsidies, has held level at just over 54 percent for the last three years,  after four years of steady increases before that.

My quest to get racial demographics has almost become a standing joke;  we're heading into end-of-year exam time and CMS has yet to provide those numbers.  The budget book may or may not provide a clue,  on a confusing p. 90.  Parts of it appear to have been cut and pasted from last year's book,  with racial breakdowns from 2012-13.  But the bar chart includes 13-14,  and if you look at the color key you'll find percentages that don't exactly match the previous year:  41.1 percent African American,  30.8 percent white,  19.5 percent Latino and 5.5 percent Asian.  Are those the elusive current-year numbers,  long delayed by PowerSchool problems?  We'll see.  I've got that question in, too.

Update: Student placement director Scott McCully confirms that those are the current districtwide demographics.  The school-by-school numbers can be found here,  but they're just that:  Raw numbers.  He's going to get me a spreadsheet and I'll try to generate some percentages soon.