Why are Kids afraid of ICE? What are they being taught in Schools?

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), North Carolina’s second-largest district with ~147,000 students, faced an unprecedented single-day absence on November 17, 2025. Over 30,000 students (21% of enrollment) stayed home, more than double the normal 8–10% rate, with 28,136 absences marked unexcused. The spike followed weekend ICE/CBP raids under “Operation Charlotte’s Web” in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods, triggering widespread fear despite assurances that schools are safe zones.The district, already battling chronic absenteeism (22–31% in recent years, far above the pre-pandemic 13.5%), saw entire classrooms nearly empty; some teachers reported only 4 of 16 students present. CMS serves a highly diverse population (31% Hispanic, 35% Black, 40% economically disadvantaged), and the sudden absence wave erased months of post-pandemic recovery efforts in one day. Superintendent Crystal Hill and local leaders condemned the fear-driven absences, while national figures highlighted it as evidence of large undocumented enrollment.CMS is intensifying outreach, attendance incentives, and community partnerships to reassure families and prevent long-term learning loss. Attendance on November 18 reportedly began rebounding, but the incident exposed deep vulnerabilities in diverse urban districts when federal enforcement intersects with public education.(298 words)#CharlotteSchools #CMS #CharlotteMecklenburg #ChronicAbsenteeism #SchoolAbsences #immigrationraids #OperationCharlottesWeb #iceraids #charlottenc #nceducationlottery200 #studentsafety #FearInSchools #latinostudents #publiceducation #schoolattendance #MecklenburgCounty #backtoschool #CommunitySchools #educationequity #northcarolina #schooldistrict #AbsenteeismCrisis #safeschools #immigrantfamilies #charlottenews #ncpolitics