Candidates for Buncombe school board weigh in on local issues

Ten candidates are running in four races for the Buncombe County Board of Education in November’s election, and at least two will be elected to lead Western North Carolina’s largest school district for the first time.

Last year, Buncombe County Schools (BCS) grappled with implementing policies to comply with Senate Bill 49, also known as the Parents’ Bill of Rights, while also trying to protect its LGBTQ+ students. Then, the school board begrudgingly redrew its district lines at the behest of the N.C. General Assembly, spending thousands of dollars to slightly change an alignment that had been in place since 1975. In the spring, the board voted to ban one book from libraries districtwide, and a school-based committee voted to remove three others from the shelves at Enka High School. And in May, the board’s at-large member, Amanda Simpkins, suddenly resigned, replaced in June by Glenda Weinert.

All of that happened while an independent consultant conducts a state-mandated and county-led feasibility study meant to help leaders determine if Asheville City Schools (ACS) should merge with BCS. That study is due to state legislators in February.

The 10 candidates include two incumbents and the recently appointed Weinert. Three candidates will appear countywide for the at-large seat; two will face off in District 1; three in District 2; and two in District 4. Check your voter registration at avl.mx/6nq to see what races you’ll vote on.

All candidates recently spoke with Xpress to discuss why they jumped in their individual races.

Status quo

As one would expect, every candidate running for school board expresses a “passion” or “dedication” for education as a reason to run. Incumbents Ann Franklin (District 1) and Amy Churchill (District 4), as well as a few challengers, say the current board has a lot to be proud of in navigating last year’s challenges, particularly in passing a budget to fund schools despite shrinking support from the state.

Everyone agreed that recruiting and retaining teachers should be a priority, and adequate pay scales are an important tool to attain that goal. Beyond that, there was little consensus among the candidates.

Some, like Greg Parks (District 1), who also ran for a seat in 2022, say their perspectives as parents of children in the district would give a more in-touch voice to a board that is a little older on average than most parents of school-age children.

“Currently only one member of the board has school-age children. There is a disconnect between what parents experience daily and how school system decisions impact them mentally, physically and financially,” Parks says.  “As a working parent, I have a connection that my opponent does not have with the families in our school system. I am facing the same challenges as they are and understand how decisions impact daily home life,” he adds.

Parks is running for the seat that historically represents northern Buncombe County, currently held by Franklin.

The role of parents in the school system was at the center of a debate over how to implement Senate Bill 49, which advocates said safeguards parents’ roles in their children’s education. Opponents of the law said it would create an unsafe learning environment for LGBTQ+ students. The board received dozens of emails and heard heated public comments across multiple meetings before passing seven policies in response to the law, ultimately garnering mostly positive reviews.

Candidate Greg Cheatham (District 2) says he went to every board meeting where the so-called Parents’ Bill of Rights was discussed.

“I saw firsthand how our current board listened to the diverse opinions from our community. I was quite impressed with how the board crafted our school system’s policies and procedures that respected the feelings of our community while attempting to follow state and federal laws. They did their best,” he says.

Current board member Churchill credited the district’s policy committee with the board’s success in threading the needle.

“I believe the policy committee did an excellent job bringing forth updated policies to comply with the Parents’ Bill of Rights while also making it a priority to provide a safe and welcoming place for all of our students. Fortunately, we have outstanding school counselors and other support staff working closely with LGBTQ+ students in our schools and keeping the board apprised of that work,” Churchill says.

When asked how the board handled the Parents’ Bill of Rights, Churchill’s opponent in District 4, Jim Fulton, says the board’s policy of allowing three minutes for each person addressing the board during public comment falls short of “addressing the issues that matter to the community.”

“This time constraint doesn’t allow for meaningful dialogue on complex issues that affect our students, parents and educators,” he notes.

Fulton says that if elected, he will hold regular town hall meetings where constituents can express concerns, ask questions and provide feedback in a more interactive setting.

State-level endorsements

Local candidates typically focus on local issues. But this year’s statewide race for N.C. Superintendent of Public Instruction — between Republican Michele Morrow and Democrat Maurice (Mo) Green — has local candidates weighing in.

Morrow has drawn national attention for controversial comments made about everything from public schools to former President Barack Obama.

In 2020, she expressed support on Twitter for the televised execution of Obama.

“I prefer a pay-per-view of him in front of the firing squad,” she wrote in May 2020 in response to a user who suggested sending Obama to prison at Guantanamo Bay. “I do not want to waste another dime on supporting his life. We could make some money back from televising his death.”

Morrow also suggested President Joe Biden should be killed for advising Americans to wear masks for 100 days in December 2020. She has called public schools “indoctrination centers” and urged parents not to send their children to them. At a campaign speech in February, Morrow said North Carolina should eliminate its state board of education, instead having the superintendent work directly under the state legislature.

“I think we would be so much better off because you don’t have all these extra people right in the mix,” she said at the event.

Churchill, who recently changed her party affiliation from Republican to independent, says she endorses Green for superintendent because he is a “proven champion” for public schools while Morrow, who reportedly homeschooled her children, “has no experience, knowledge or qualifications to hold such an important position.”

Fulton says he supports Morrow because “she demonstrates a clear focus on serving the educational community with integrity and dedication.” He’s concerned Green’s approach “is more politically driven,” he says.

Candidate Sara Disher Ratliff (District 2) also endorsed Morrow for the position because of her proposal to limit screen time in the classroom.

“While technology is essential and offers many benefits, excessive reliance on it can disconnect parents from their child’s learning,” she says. “We need to strike a balance that integrates both books and technology, allowing parents better access to and involvement in their child’s education.”

Charles Martin, (at-large) was one of six candidates to endorse Green, citing Green’s experience as superintendent of Guilford County Schools, one of the state’s largest districts.

“I think with his experience, he can take our public schools in the state to the next level.”

Parks and Weinert, both registered Republicans, did not endorse either candidate.

Declining enrollment

While BCS’ enrollment stabilized last year, its number of students has steadily shrunk over the previous 10 years. Enrollment numbers affect state funding, meaning the health of the district is intimately tied to how many students attend.

Most of the candidates, including Churchill, Parks, Cheatham, Franklin and Nancy Hargrove (District 2) say that the district should do a better job selling itself to parents.

“Positive publicity about our schools’ successful programs will help, such as highlighting student groups’ achievements and service. We need to involve more community leaders in our programs, seek more grants and recruit more volunteer service,” Hargrove says.

Weinert says she expects numbers to continue to stabilize and improve under the leadership of BCS Superintendent Rob Jackson, who received support from all 10 candidates.

Martin says the district should seek more data to better understand why enrollment is shrinking and suggests conducting exit interviews with each family that pulls their children out of the district.

“We should investigate each case to identify where breakdowns are occurring and address these issues within our school system. Families leave when ongoing problems for their child remain unresolved,” he says.

Arria Williams (at-large) the youngest of all school board candidates at 21, agrees with Martin that the district should investigate the root causes of parents’ decisions to leave the district. She says the district shouldn’t overlook the effect COVID-19 continues to have on Buncombe County families.

“Many families are opting to homeschool and one overlooked factor in that trend may be the ongoing pandemic. Families with disabled and immunocompromised members may be choosing to homeschool because the health risk of public schools is too great as COVID transmission remains high,” she suggests.

Vouchers

Disher Ratliff and Fulton acknowledge the role parent choice has in the district’s enrollment struggles.

For Fulton, you can’t discuss enrollment without acknowledging the role the state’s private school voucher program is playing.

The expanding investment in what the state legislature calls opportunity scholarships will cost public schools in Buncombe County $5.6 million by the 2026-27 school year, according to the state N.C. Office of State Budget and Management.

“I believe we should focus on improving our schools to attract and retain students. By achieving excellent academic results, we can offer a compelling reason for families to choose Buncombe County Schools and discourage them from seeking alternatives. Strengthening our schools should be our top priority to ensure state funding remains robust,” Fulton says.

For Disher Ratliff, the responsibility to sell the district as the best option lies predominantly with the school board.

“Parents deserve the autonomy to choose the best educational path for their children, and the state must ensure equitable access to these diverse options. By understanding and addressing parents’ needs, we can improve public education, making it a compelling choice for more families and benefiting all students.”

Most of the candidates expressed stringent opposition to the state private school voucher program and support for a resolution passed by the school board in June asking the state to put a moratorium on the voucher program until public districts are adequately funded.

Consolidation

Hanging over any conversation about public schools in Buncombe County is potential district consolidation. Until the feasibility study is completed early next year, most candidates declined to comment on endorsing consolidation or not.

While Franklin didn’t include an opinion on the matter in her responses to Xpress, she recently showed her sentiment in a joint public meeting with the Asheville City Board of Education and Buncombe County Board of Commissioners.

“We really don’t have any proof that consolidation would save money. Nothing that I’ve read or studied would indicate that in any way, shape or form. So let’s take it off the table and get to the things that really could benefit [us],” she said during the meeting.

In his response to Xpress, Martin supported the possibility, outlining six ways a merger could help the overall fabric of local public schools.

“The merger of our two districts presents an exciting opportunity to create a stronger, more dynamic educational system that better serves our students and communities,” he says.