North Carolina State Auditor Finds School Districts Failed to Comply with Student Attendance Laws During COVID-19 Pandemic
State Auditor Discovers Non-Compliance with Student Attendance Laws in North Carolina
Education leaders and State Auditor Beth Wood are at odds following an audit that revealed several school districts in North Carolina failed to adhere to student attendance laws during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Audit Initiated by General Assembly
The audit, directed by the General Assembly in late 2021, focused on truancy policies and procedures in six public school districts. The aim was to address concerns that students were missing classes during the pandemic.
Department of Public Instruction’s Incomplete Data
However, the report authors expressed their inability to conduct a thorough analysis due to the Department of Public Instruction’s failure to provide complete and accurate attendance data for five of the districts. This data gap resulted in the delayed release of the audit, which was published well beyond the legislative deadline.
Failure to Perform Required Actions
According to Wood’s office, all six districts failed to fulfill the necessary obligations for students who had three, six, and ten excused absences during the 2020-2021 school year. This period saw a shift to online classes due to the lack of in-person instruction. Although standardized test scores during this time dipped, they have been gradually recovering since.
Disagreement between Departments and Districts
While Wood’s office maintains the districts’ non-compliance, the six selected districts and the Department of Public Instruction vehemently disagree with the findings. The department accuses the auditor’s office of misconstruing the attendance data.
State Superintendent Catherine Truitt, a Republican, criticized the report, stating that it fails to offer recommendations to get students back to school. Truitt also voiced concern over the misuse of taxpayer dollars and resources for the audit.
Remote Learning and Attendance Policy
During the review period, students engaged in remote learning were considered present if they participated in online class discussions, had daily check-ins with teachers, or completed the assigned tasks for that day.
Limited Information Available
The auditors were able to obtain comprehensive information only for the Henderson County Public Schools. The report also examined the Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County schools, as well as the Johnston, Hyde, and Robeson county schools.
Inconsistent Truancy Procedures
The audit highlighted substantial variations in the frequency, timing, and documentation of truancy procedures across the selected districts. The report reiterated that North Carolina’s Truancy Law remained in effect during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020-2021 school year.
Controversy Surrounding the Audit
According to the report, data discrepancies resulted in additional work time for auditors, leading to $205,000 in extra costs. The Department of Public Instruction placed blame on the auditor’s office, alleging multiple changes in scope and a lack of understanding of attendance policies and the wording used by the districts in their student attendance policies.
The Department of Public Instruction further criticized Wood’s office, asserting that it “wasted $350,000 of COVID-19 relief funding” and valuable educator staff time by generating a report that failed to address the questions posed by the General Assembly. The authors of the audit report also took issue with the responses provided by the subjects of the audit.
Chronic Absenteeism in Henderson County Schools
The audit’s findings revealed that out of the students identified as chronically absent during the 2020-2021 school year in the Henderson County schools, 87% either progressed to the next grade or successfully graduated from high school. “Chronically absent” refers to students who missed 10% or more of the enrolled days.
National Reports Reflect Rising Absenteeism
This state audit aligns with national reports, including those from The Associated Press, which highlight a significant increase in absenteeism during the pandemic.