Roughly three in 10 students in Cumberland County Schools are chronically absent, according to the most recent attendance data from the state, a nagging problem that highlights one of the district’s biggest struggles.
The 2024-25 attendance data from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction also showed that absenteeism is not evenly distributed across student populations in the county. The data showed higher rates among several groups, including 40.95% of economically disadvantaged students and 40.18% of students with disabilities.
Rates are even higher among some racial groups, including 46.21% of American Indian students and 44.96% of Pacific Islander students—compared with 33.76% districtwide.
District data showed the problem has remained largely unchanged in recent years. Chronic absenteeism—meaning a student has missed at least 10% of the school year—measured 34.53% in 2022–23, a slight decline to 33.48% in 2023–24, and an uptick to 33.76% in 2024–25—leaving roughly one in three students chronically absent districtwide.
CityView previously reported that in the 2023–24 school year, district data showed that at some Cumberland County schools, more than half of students were classified as chronically absent.
The district updated its attendance policy in early 2025 in an effort to curb the trend, shifting toward earlier intervention, increased parent communication, and support-based attendance plans for students flagged as chronically absent.
But despite those efforts, school officials said attendance remains one of the district’s most persistent challenges—and increasingly, one rooted in emotional and behavioral needs.
During a school board committee meeting on January 6, Kristy Newitt—counselor coordinator for Cumberland County Schools—presented the mid-year “Student Mental Health & Well-Being” report, which is annually submitted to the state education department.
Newitt said attendance continues to be one of the district’s biggest struggles.
“How are we getting these kids to school and what are some of the barriers that are keeping them from coming to school?” Newitt said.
Newitt explained that absenteeism is often driven by a mix of mental health challenges and outside pressures not directly related to school.
“Some of it is that they have severe anxiety or depression, for others it’s more of ‘I’d rather get a job and make money to put food on the table’,” Newitt said. “Some of it is apathy, some students just don’t want to be in school, those are the three highest.”
‘A Systemic Cycle’
Newitt said attendance challenges often reflect broader issues in students’ lives beyond school, including family dynamics.
“There may not be one or two parents making them go to school,” Newitt said.
She added that mental health challenges often extend beyond students.
“Mental health is not just impacting our students, it’s been across the board with adults. We’ve even seen some students that are being kept at home to take care of younger siblings. It’s a systemic cycle — you have some teenagers that it’s hard to get them out of bed, and at what point do you stop fighting.”
Those pressures are reflected in the type of support schools are providing.
District officials said year-over-year comparisons are not available for several student services categories because the department adopted a new reporting format in spring 2025. The figures below reflect the first full semester of data collected under that system.
In the report, agency referrals refer to cases in which schools connect students or families with outside community agencies for support. Crisis de-escalation cases involve immediate actions taken by school staff to reduce the intensity of a highly stressful or potentially dangerous situation. Emergency crisis interventions are urgent short-term responses when a student is experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis. Threat assessments are formal processes used to evaluate and manage behavior that may pose a risk of harm to the student or others.
Between August and November, Cumberland County Schools recorded:
773 agency referrals
622 crisis de-escalation cases
236 suicide assessments
213 emergency crisis interventions
215 self-harm counseling sessions
144 student mental health assessments
41 threat assessments
“Our kids have a lot going on, while they are also trying to learn,” Newitt said.
Counseling Services Under Growing Demand
The district also reported high volumes of direct student support during the first four months of the school year.
From August through November:
5,675 students received individual counseling
3,331 students were seen individually for social-emotional or mental health concerns
2,189 students received social skills interventions
810 group counseling sessions
638 behavior plans or strategies
145 safety plans
District officials also reported that thousands of students are currently flagged for elevated social-emotional or behavioral support needs through district assessments.
Schools are also serving as a gateway to outside services.
Between August and November, CCS recorded:
264 Department of Social Services reports
422 mental health care referrals
70 emergency department referrals
243 outside counseling referrals
District Expands Mental Health Supports
District officials say they are expanding school-based mental health support through a combination of digital tools, clinical partnerships and small-group interventions.
One of the district’s primary initiatives is Alongside, a digital mental health platform for secondary students that provides support through a chatbot developed by licensed clinicians.
Since its rollout in spring 2024, CCS reported:
More than 13,000 parent permissions
3,574 student users
A 92.5% helpfulness rating
2,804 hours of support provided
Nearly 40,000 student activities completed
The district has also partnered with four external mental health providers to deliver individual, family, and group counseling services in 37 schools.
In addition, CCS offers research-based small-group counseling programs, including Bounce Back for students in grades K–5 and SPARCS for students in grades 6–12—both designed to support students who have experienced chronic stress or trauma.
For counselors, the work now extends far beyond academics—into crisis response, safety planning and mental health support that continues to shape whether students show up to school at all.