Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) leaders are raising alarms over proposed budget cuts by the Trump administration, arguing that these reductions threaten essential services for students, particularly those in underserved communities.

Approximately 17,000 CMS students depend on critical services such as speech pathology, audiology, and nursing, with 3,000 of these students requiring a nurse present throughout the school day due to severe limitations.

These budget cuts could lead to the loss of Medicaid services for students with disabilities, affecting around 17,000 students, including those needing daily nursing care.

Stephanie Sneed, a CMS leader, is urging U.S. representatives to reconsider these funding cuts, stressing that without adequate financial support, academic and health challenges for students will worsen.

The proposed budget cuts may severely impact students with disabilities, potentially stripping them of necessary Medicaid services that provide specialized support.

Sneed likens the situation to a 'domino effect,' where the loss of one service impacts the availability of others, undermining the overall support system for students.

CMS has already faced a loss of over $7 million in grants due to previous budget cuts, although they reported that no teaching positions or salaries have been directly affected by this loss.

Additionally, more than 40,000 CMS students could lose access to free or reduced-price school meals, which are vital for many, as these meals may be their only source of nutrition.