Student drug possession in CMS broke another record. What’s driving the trend?
Students’ possession of drugs in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools last school year surpassed even the 10-year high reached in 2022-23, according to state data released earlier this year.
The ongoing drug crisis at all levels across the state drew the attention of Gov. Josh Stein, who was in Charlotte May 8. That’s when he proposed that the General Assembly dedicate more than $2 million of the state budget to fund new law enforcement jobs targeting the fentanyl crisis.
At CMS, reports of controlled substance possession reached a 10-year high during the 2022-23 school year, with 717 cases of controlled substance possession across the district of 140,000 students. In 2024-25, reports increased by nearly 20% to 858 cases, despite the district’s size remaining stagnant and the overall crime rate in CMS going down.
Drug possession accounted for 60% of crime in the district last school year, according to a Charlotte Observer analysis of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction data.
The number of drug possession cases in CMS increased sharply after the COVID-19 pandemic, even exceeding pre-pandemic numbers, state data show.
The rate of drug possession in the district was 80% higher in 2023-24 than it was in 2007-08, despite the student population only being 7.7% higher. The 2007-08 school year is the earliest drug possession data available online from The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
However, the state’s schools have also made their behavioral threat assessment teams more robust in recent years. They help detect and prevent safety concerns like bullying, self-harm and drug possession, and there are multiple reporting avenues including the Say Something anonymous reporting app, which CMS began using in 2022.
Higher numbers of drug possessions may be in part a reflection of more accurate reporting and detection, according to Karen Fairley, executive director of NC Center for Safer Schools.
“Whenever a new reporting mechanism is introduced, it’s common to see an increase in reported numbers,” Fairley said. “This doesn’t necessarily indicate more incidents — just more accurate and thorough reporting.”
CMS Police Department officers conduct regular searches in order to find illegal substances and remove them from campuses, the district said in a statement.
A representative from the district’s Student Assistance Program works with students and families each time a student violates the district’s drug policy to determine next-steps. Students are then either placed in a county-funded drug education class or referred for outpatient substance abuse treatment.
“Drug offenses are addressed through a combination of appropriate disciplinary actions and supportive interventions. CMS emphasizes both fairness and accountability to help students make better choices while maintaining safe school environments,” a CMS spokesperson said. “Despite these efforts, CMS continues to grapple with the broader challenge of how easily students can access vapes and other substances in the community—many of which inevitably find their way into schools.”
How are schools combating the drug problem?
Several state laws have taken effect in recent years focused on education and discipline surrounding teen substance use.
A law passed in 2023 requires public school districts to educate students about the dangers of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids starting in the 2023–24 school year.
Meanwhile, Fairley said, all local boards of education in N.C. are required to adopt discipline policies related to substance abuse, including the possession or use of controlled substances. Teachers, school nurses and school resource officers also receive ongoing training on substance use warning signs, legal implications and de-escalation strategies.
A mother’s warning
State data doesn’t detail what types of drugs students possessed. But many drugs are laced with synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which has largely driven an increase in adolescent drug fatalities around the country in recent years.
A Lake Norman mom and activist, Debbie Dalton, heads the Hunter Dalton #HDLife Foundation, which provides education and resources to teens and families to help prevent the use of recreational drugs that could contain fentanyl.
“There are no drugs out there that are safe,” Dalton told The Charlotte Observer. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency found that six out of 10 fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl in 2022 contained a potentially lethal dose.
Dalton’s son, Hunter, was a graduate of Hopewell High School and, later, UNC Charlotte. He died in 2016 of fentanyl poisoning at age 23. “Hunter lived life like no one I’ve ever known,” she said. “He had this incredible gift for making people feel better about themselves.”
Her son’s life – and death – inspired Dalton to take on the mission of educating teens about the dangers of drug use, specifically the prevalence of synthetic opioids. “His legacy pushed me out of the bed,” she said. “I know he would want this horrific thing that happened to him to help somebody else.”
Dalton said teens often use what they think is Xanax or cocaine, without knowing it contains a dangerous amount of synthetic opioids.
“Students have heard of fentanyl at this point, but they still don’t know that it could be in half a Xanax pill and kill them,” she said. “As much as kids think they know, they don’t… And a lot of parents think this isn’t going to touch them.”
Many students, she said, get drugs via social media. Parents need to be hyper-vigilant about what their kids are accessing on their devices, she said.
Dalton recently was approved to give a presentation to students at each middle and high school in CMS next school year, telling her son’s story and cautioning students about the dangers of drug use.
She’s given the presentation to thousands of students inside and outside of North Carolina.
“I think what makes it so powerful is the video of Hunter at the beginning and they get to know him and connect with him,” Dalton said. “It’s the personal touch that makes the difference.”
Dalton also joined Stein at his May news conference in Charlotte.
“Our police officers need help, and that fentanyl control unit is a step in the right direction,” she told The Observer.
This story was originally published May 21, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
