SINGLE PARENTS,
 THEIR CHILDREN 
AND 
CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG SCHOOLS

PRELUDE

Whenever I see a SUV speeding at 3 pm on a school day, most likely it’s a parent trying to get one child to dance and another to practice.  I highly recommend the cops don’t stop her unless they want an earful.  Now imagine the driver is a single parent who has just enough time between her two jobs to pull this off… every day!


In the chart below, it is clearer than most people realize that single parenting is not a minor community sector.  In Mecklenburg, it’s one-third of families. So, how do I include their challenges on this website, the impact of single parenting on K-12 education, without being insensitive?  The answer is to just stick to the data.  But I will say the American Dream is the notion that anyone, regardless of their background, can achieve upward mobility through hard work and determination.  That includes the single parent trying to put three children through K-12 education over a twenty-year period.    I also include her kids, who likely learned earlier than most about efficient decision-making, independence, resilience, a strong parent, and the value of community.

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More than 30% of Mecklenburg's 450,000 Households
 are Single-Parent.

The impact of single-parent households on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is not well understood.  But the number one intersection is. The time schedules of single-parent families seldom align with what schools offer.  That mother in the SUV is now at her second job when she could have been at the teacher conference. Maybe the teacher will have time for a late-night telephone call.

Since 2010, single-parent households have comprised 33% to 35.5% of all households in Mecklenburg. This averages to approximately 140,000 single-parent households over 15 years, with the most recent data indicating 156,000 in 2023.  Single-family parenting is increasing!  

Single-Parent Households with Children - Mecklenburg County

IT'S A CHALLEN​​​GE

S ingle parents face significant challenges in K-12 education, whether public or private, often ranking among the most affected groups due to financial strain, limited time, and emotional stress. Studies highlight that single parents frequently struggle with paying school fees, providing adequate supplies, monitoring attendance, and offering emotional support. Their children may experience lower academic performance and struggle to complete assignments. Additionally, single-parent families tend to have lower incomes, which can limit access to tutoring and extracurricular activities. The stress of balancing work, home responsibilities, and school involvement can also impact both the parents’ well-being and the child’s educational success. Schools and communities can help by offering support groups, financial aid, and counseling programs to assist single-parent families in overcoming these obstacles.

The Changing Profile of Unmarried Parents

"After considering all factors, we reached consensus. We believe research is clear about the positive impact of raising a child in a married, two-parent household where the parents also have a healthy relationship."
Pew Research Center, April 2018   

Impact of Single Parent on Mecklenburg Households

"Fewer Americans are getting married, and it’s also becoming more common for unmarried people to have babies. In 1970 there were 26 births per 1,000 unmarried women ages 15 to 44, while that rate in 2016 stood at 42 births per 1,000 unmarried women. Meanwhile, birthrates for married women have declined, from 121 births per 1,000 down to about 90. As a result, in 2016 four-in-ten births were to women who were either solo mothers or living with a nonmarital partner."

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Opportunity Task Force Report​,
 March 2017

U.S. STUDENT AND FAMILY CHARACTERISTIC

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