Just 11% of Black students in grades 3-8 at Asheville City Schools scored as proficient in math, with 13% proficient in reading. Rates were somewhat better in the county system, with 21% of Black pupils proficient in both subjects, but still fell well below those of white, Hispanic and Asian students.
Janet Frazier, the school system’s media technology specialist, explained that even prior to the pandemic, BCS had begun incorporating more technology for both staff and students.
The expansive personal library has deepened the Harts’ connection to Western North Carolina, and will now do the same for scholars and the general public.
Ameena Batada, co-director of the University of North Carolina – Asheville – UNC – Gillings Master of Public Health program, discusses community support, her work to address health inequities and the power of friendship.
Mountain City Public Montessori is projected to open for kindergarten through 6th grade in August.
The deadline for local students to share work for possible publication in Mountain Xpress’ 2023 Kids Issues is Friday, Jan. 27.
During their meeting of Jan. 12, members of the Buncombe County Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution that supports amending the state’s school calendar law. The document blasts the current law for a range of woes, from learning loss to difficulty in providing teacher training.
On Dec. 30, the nonprofit completed the purchase of 34 acres in Brevard to expand the preserve. The new land will bolster the existing 395-acre park, owned by the city of Brevard, which connects to the Pisgah National Forest.
The declines are the worst of the 16 public universities in the UNC system, an Asheville Watchdog analysis finds.
The Winter Safe Shelter program at Asheville Primary School, as explained by Counterflow Asheville, will prioritize families, LGBTQ people and residents who are Black, Indigenous or people of color. The shelter plans to operate nightly through the end of March, housing up to 10 people per night with space for another 10 support staff on site.
Indigenous activists offer their thoughts on a trend that’s recently gathered local momentum.
Two people speaking during public comment revealed brewing tensions around critical race theory and sexuality education in the Asheville City Schools district.
In partnership with the WNC Farmers Market, the Asheville zoo launches its Educational Farmers Market Garden starting Wednesday, Nov. 16. The new exhibit focuses on sustainable relationships between agriculture and nature.
The structure, previously known as the Haynes Building, is over 50 years old and has been vacant since 2015. The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will vote on a memorandum of understanding with A-B Tech regarding the demolition at its regular meeting Tuesday, Nov. 15.
Jackson’s selection had been announced in September, but his oath of office Nov. 3 marked the official start of his tenure as superintendent. Jackson follows former Superintendent Tony Baldwin, who retired Nov. 1 after serving over 13 years in the position and almost 40 years as an educator in North Carolina.
Security, technology and a better place to play tennis: All are included among nearly $31.2 million in capital spending for local schools recommended by Buncombe County’s School Capital Fund Commission. The county Board of Commissioners is scheduled to vote on accepting those recommendations during its regular meeting Tuesday, Nov. 1.
The event, supported in part by the American Press Institute’s Election Coverage and Community Listening Fund, also aimed to uplift community voices regarding education issues. As moderator Aisha Adams revealed through conversations with the audience, many concerns about the school system are shared among voters with different views, even if they may disagree about how best to solve those issues.
Candidates in the Asheville City Board of Education 2022 general election share their positions with Xpress.
Candidates in the 2022 Buncombe County Board of Education general election share their positions with Xpress.
Of the 20 North Carolina sites in the new report, six are in Western North Carolina — including the nonprofit’s No. 1 site, Interstate 40’s path through the Pigeon River Gorge.
Xpress takes stock of the current school boards and examines the challenges that lie ahead for their future representatives
