Officials flag discrepancy in federally connected student counts that could affect school funding
Loading...
Summary
County and school officials, with legislators present, said data pulls showed widely different counts of federally connected or military-dependent students (one report ~5,500; another ~16,500) and asked the school system to verify the numbers because undercounts can reduce federal funding.
HARNETT COUNTY — County officials and legislators raised concerns about inconsistent counts of federally connected or military-dependent students in neighboring counties that could change federal funding allocations.
A state representative and county staff described a data discrepancy for Cumberland County: one report they had showed about 5,500 federally connected students, while another pull returned about 16,500. County staff asked the school system to verify the methodology and correct the survey-based counts used to trigger federal funds.
A representative said the county has hired staff specifically to ensure annual surveys of military-connected households are completed because those counts can materially affect federal allocations. "We're not getting everybody accounted for," a school official said, adding the district has designated a person to oversee the federally connected student count.
Lawmakers present said they would continue to pursue interagency follow-up, with one legislator noting discussions had already reached Pentagon and White House staff in prior inquiries. County leaders requested any additional data the legislature could provide and asked school administrators to return verified figures before lawmakers escalate the issue further.
Next steps included county staff coordinating with the school district to confirm counts and provide a corrected submission to lawmakers.
