Most CMS schools will receive Title I funding this school year. What does that mean?
There are 94 Title I schools in Mecklenburg County this year. According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, it’s the nation’s largest federally funded program — but what exactly does it mean?
Title I provides federal funding to schools that have a large population of students living at, near or below the poverty line.
Guidelines published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services show families are considered at or below the poverty line if their income is less than or equal to:
- $13,590 for individuals
- $18,310 for a family of two
- $23,030 for a family of three
- $27,750 for a family of four
- $32,470 for a family of five
- $37,190 for a family of six
- $41,910 for a family of seven
- $46,630 for a family of eight
- $46,630, plus $4,720 for each extra person for families of nine or more
Title I was first introduced in 1965 with the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and was amended 50 years later with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
CMS considers a school eligible to receive Title I benefits if more than 35.6% of the institution’s student population is made up of students who are eligible to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations benefits.
Students who are homeless, migrants or receive assistance from programs such as Head Start or Even Start are also considered.
What are Title I requirements?
Aside from meeting students’ needs-based criteria, CMS says Title I institutions must adhere to 10 requirements as outlined by ESEA and ESSA:
Title I Schools must complete an in-depth needs assessment that drives all aspects of school operations.
A plan must be implemented to resolve needs identified by the assessment.
All staff must be “of highest quality” as defined by standards outlined in the North Carolina ESSA State Plan.
Staff must display ongoing professional development to address the needs of the school.
Hiring strategies must be in place to employ high-quality instructors as well as a plan to place them in areas of greatest need within the school.
Parent and family involvement must be present in day-to-day operations.
Transition strategies must be in place to aid in the adjustment between grade levels, including preschool to kindergarten, elementary to middle school and middle school to high school.
Instructors must use assessments and base instructional decisions on data from assessments.
The institution must develop specific instructional activities with students who have the greatest needs in mind.
The institution must integrate resources and services provided by federal, state and local agencies.
How many Title I schools are located within Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools?
There are 94 Title I schools inside the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district for the 2022-23 school year. The district has 181 total schools.
Elementary Schools
- Albemarle Road Elementary
- Allenbrook Elementary
- Billingsville Elementary School
- Briarwood Academy
- Bruns Avenue Academy
- Charles H. Parker Academic Center
- Cotswold Elementary
- Croft Community School
- Crown Point Elementary
- David Cox Elementary
- Devonshire Elementary School
- Elizabeth Traditional Elementary
- First Ward Creative Arts Academy
- Governors’ Village STEM Academy (Lower)
- Governors’ Village STEM Academy (Upper)
- Greenway Park Elementary
- Hickory Grove Elementary
- Hidden Valley Elementary
- Highland Renaissance Academy
- Hornets Nest Elementary
- Idlewild Elementary
- J. H. Gunn Elementary
- J. W. Grier Elementary
- Lake Wylie Elementary
- Lawrence Orr Elementary
- Lebanon Road Elementary
- Long Creek Elementary
- Mallard Creek Elementary
- Merry Oaks Int’l Academy
- Montclaire Elementary
- Nations Ford Elementary
- Newell Elementary
- Oakdale Elementary
- Oakhurst STEAM Academy
- Parkside Elementary
- Paw Creek Elementary
- Pinewood Elementary
- Piney Grove Elementary
- Rama Road Elementary
- Reedy Creek Elementary
- Reid Park Academy
- River Oaks Academy
- Shamrock Gardens Elementary
- South Pine Academy
- Starmount Elementary
- Statesville Road Elementary
- Steele Creek Elementary
- Sterling Elementary
- Stoney Creek Elementary
- Tuckaseegee Elementary
- University Meadows Elementary
- University Park Creative Arts
- Villa Heights Elementary
- Whitewater Academy
- Winding Springs Elementary
- Windsor Park Elementary
- Winterfield Elementary
Middle Schools
- Albemarle Road Middle School
- Cochrane Collegiate Academy
- Coulwood Middle School
- Eastway Middle School
- James Martin Middle School
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School
- McClintock Middle School
- Northeast Middle School
- Northridge Middle School
- Quail Hollow Middle School
- Ranson Middle School
- Ridge Road Middle School
- Sedgefield Middle School
- Whitewater Middle School
- Wilson STEM Academy
High Schools
- Garinger High School
- Harding University High School
- Hawthorne Academy of Health Sciences
- Military and Global Leadership at Hawthorne
- Performance Learning Center
- West Charlotte High School
- West Mecklenburg High School
- Julius Chambers High School
- Charlotte Mecklenburg Virtual High School (merged with Charlotte Mecklenburg Virtual Middle School)
K-8 Schools
- Ashley Park Pre-K8
- Berryhill School
- Charlotte East Language Academy
- Druid Hills Academy
- Marie G. Davis IB
- Mountain Island Lake Academy
- Renaissance West STEAM Academy
- Thomasboro Academy
- Walter G. Byers School
- Westerly Hills Academy
Alternative Schools
- Turning Point Academy
Special Education Public Schools
- Charlotte Mecklenburg Academy
- Metro School
Private Schools
These schools have students living in the attendance zones of Title I public schools that would qualify for services if they attended those public schools:
- Adventist Christian Academy
- Alexander Youth Network
- Berean Jr. Academy
- Brisbane Academy
- Brookstone Prep Academy
- Charlotte Catholic High School
- Charlotte Islamic Academy
- Charlotte Jewish Day School
- Charlotte Leadership Academy
- Christ the King Catholic High
- Hickory Grove Christian School
- Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School
- Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic School
- St. Ann Catholic School
- St. Gabriel Catholic School
- St. Mark Catholic School
- St. Patrick Catholic School
- The Oaks Charlotte
- United Faith Christian Academy
Neglected and Delinquent Institutions
- School at Thompson
Nationally recognized Distinguished Title I Schools in North Carolina
North Carolina has recognized several Distinguished Title I Schools through the program since 1996. Distinguished Title I Schools are recognized when a local educational agency such as CMS holds its students to the highest standard of excellence, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
Institutions that recognized through the program must fall into one of two categories:
The Sustained High-Performance Category – must show a high level of student proficiency (at least 80%) in reading and mathematics and making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the most recent two years.
The Sustained High Growth Category – must show significant progress in closing the “achievement gap” between student groups. The achievement gap is defined by a substantial disparity in academic performance between groups of students, according to EdWeek.
This story was originally published August 26, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
