Press release from Asheville City Schools:
For more than 130 years, Asheville City Schools has prided itself on our constant desire to adapt to our changing world as we strive to best meet the needs of our students, staff, families and community.
Therefore, please know that the name of Vance Elementary School will be brought before the Asheville City Board of Education during their June 30th meeting. Should our Superintendent, Dr. Gene Freeman, receive their approval to begin the renaming process, our district will start an extensive campaign to receive feedback from as many stakeholders as possible, especially those who currently make up the Vance Elementary School family.
In Asheville City Schools, we know that history cannot be ignored; however, we also know that some history should be in museums, as opposed to on the marquee of a school building whose main focus is creating a supportive, loving environment where all students can learn.
In our district, excellence with equity is more than a motto. It is the driving force of every decision we make. Therefore, we would be remiss to the social and emotional well being of children, especially our students of color, if they were to continue to attend a school named after a slave owner, as his stance on racial equity did not match the current beliefs and feelings of our Vance students, staff, families and community.
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