Ongoing updates about schools news on Friday, Oct. 4

The following is an ongoing list of news about education-related resources in Western North Carolina in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene. This list will be updated as new information comes in:

News release from Warren Wilson College Friday, Oct. 4:

Essential Updates:

– You can see all official campus updates, posted by the President, at the following link: https://www.warren-wilson.edu/weather

– All 750 of our students are safe and accounted for, in addition to all staff/faculty. While our campus did sustain some damage including multiple trees on buildings, flooding of some buildings, and extensive flooding of our 1000+ acre farm and garden, we are incredibly grateful that we are all safe and the damage on our campus compared to our immediate surroundings in the Swannanoa Valley is relatively manageable.

– Our campus continues to be without power and water, but we have a generator running our cafeteria and many staff and faculty are present to band together with remaining students. Most of our student body has returned home, but about 70 students remain on campus including international students and students with specialized skills who wish to stay and help pitch in, particularly with farm maintenance and community service in the local area.

– With community service at the heart of our educational model, our national ranking as a top 20 school for service learning (US News and World Report) has become particularly remarkable in the aftermath of Helene. Our students have mobilized and served countless hours in Swannanoa already, partnering with Hearts with Hands, 12 Baskets, and executing fundraisers to donate supplies.

– We have set a tentative date of October 21st to resume classes. We are focused on ensuring that students remain engaged and complete credits on time, and continue to receive all of the typical academic support services in order to succeed this semester.

News release from Asheville City Councilwoman Maggie Ullman Thursday, Oct. 3:

CITY AND COUNTY SCHOOLS

All facilities are without water, and many have minimal power. This, in addition to road impacts on bus routes, is a major roadblock to bringing students back to school. Schools are working diligently to account for all staff members. If you work for these schools, please contact someone to let them know you are safe.

News release from Buncombe County Wednesday, Oct. 2:

Schools Update
Both Buncombe County and Asheville City Schools had minimal damage to facilities. All facilities are without water, and many have minimal power. This, in addition to road impacts on bus routes, is a major roadblock to bringing students back to school. Schools are working diligently to account for all staff members. If you work for these schools, please contact someone to let them know you are safe. Many facilities are also being used for emergency response staff.

Asheville and Buncombe public schools closed through at least Oct. 4, as of Tuesday, Oct. 1

All public schools are currently closed in Asheville and Buncombe County due to damage caused by Tropical Storm Helene.

In a press briefing Tuesday, Oct. 1, Buncombe County Schools Superintendent Rob Jackson and Asheville City Schools Superintendent Maggie Fehrman commented on the status of the school districts.

Fehrman said damage to ACS facilities was minimal, and “nothing we can’t recover from.” The schools will be acting as resource hubs for the recovery effort, and there is no specific reopening timeline.

Jackson said the BCS community is resilient, and that he wants to open schools as soon as possible. However, the availability of water is crucial to schools reopening. Transportation routes are also severely impacted, and BCS’ transportation department is in the process of re-mapping the county’s bus routes.

Until a reopening date can be determined, Jackson said the schools community is pitching in to help the community recover in any possible way they can.

Press release from UNC Asheville Monday, Sept. 30:

Since Friday, September 27, UNC Asheville has cared for all students who remained on campus during Tropical Storm Helene. Students have received food and access to potable drinking water.

In advance of the storm, UNC Asheville prepared for the emergency by bringing in non-perishable food items, bottled water, and portable restrooms for campus use; however, those resources are diminishing.

At this time, the University is prioritizing the safe relocation of any students remaining on campus. Arrangements are being made to safely transport all students.

UNC Asheville remains at Condition 3 (Closure) and is currently operating without electricity, running water, cell service, or internet. The University will be closed until at least Monday, October 7. Classes are suspended until at least Wednesday, October 9.

The safety and wellbeing of our students is our top priority. Mental health support for students and employees is available. Resources have been shared with the campus community through Bulldog Alert.

With tremendous gratitude, the University is collaborating with local, state, federal, and UNC System partners to support our students and employees. We also thank the community for their continued concern and support.

Please continue to monitor Bulldog Alert at bulldogalert.unca.edu for the most up-to-date information regarding UNC Asheville.

News release from Asheville City Schools Sunday, Sept. 29:

We continue to face challenges in getting updates to our students, staff, and families. We appreciate any support you can provide in letting the community know about school updates through your media resources. Thank you for your continued support and collaboration during this time.

Asheville City Schools will be closed on Monday, September 30, and Tuesday, October 1, due to the ongoing impact of Hurricane Helene on our community.

We prioritize the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families. Please stay tuned for updates as we continue to monitor this unprecedented situation.