In one of the more crowded races in recent history for seats on the Buncombe County Board of Education, nine candidates are running for four seats on Western North Carolina’s largest school board.
Tag: Buncombe County Board of Education
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Candidates for Buncombe school board weigh in on local issues
In was a chaotic year for Western North Carolina’s largest school district in 2023-24. This November, ten candidates are vying for four seats to lead Buncombe County Schools into a future full of question marks for public education in North Carolina.
BCS grapples with fallout from federal litigation around sex discrimination regulations
At its meeting Sept. 5, the Buncombe County Board of Education unanimously (7-0) passed interim policies that broaden the school district’s interpretation of what constitutes a complaint as defined by Title IX, a federal law passed in 1972 that bars sex discrimination in education.
County, school boards discuss priorities in unusual joint meeting
On Aug. 22, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners called a first-of-its-kind joint meeting within the Asheville City and Buncombe County boards of education to identify the three elected bodies’ shared purpose.
Letter: The crisis in K-12 public education
“Today, North Carolina ranks 48th in the country in per-pupil funding ($4,655 below the national average and dead last when it comes to school funding effort).”
Buncombe school board opposes private school vouchers
The Buncombe County Board of Education is not happy with the direction state legislators are taking in funding schools.
Glenda Weinert brings variety of experience to county school board
From child care centers to colleges, Glenda Weinert’s education experience has influenced students young and old. But it’s her business expertise and political leadership as former chair of the Buncombe County Republican Party that make her a unique addition to the Buncombe County Board of Education.
Business owner, former Buncombe GOP chair appointed to county school board
Former Buncombe County GOP Chair Glenda Weinert, who is a current member of the Buncombe County Schools Foundation, received the most votes on June 6 in the opening round of an open-ended series of votes among the six sitting members of the board.
BREAKING: Amanda Simpkins resigns from Buncombe County Board of Education
In a statement to the board at a special called work session May 15, an emotional Simpkins said she was stepping down for “personal reasons” and because of “some changes going on.”
Amid funding uncertainty, BCS to request more from county government
The Buncombe County Board of Education passed an increased funding request of $13.5 million from the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners at its May 2 meeting based on a “vast number of assumptions and projections,” according to BCS Chief Financial Officer Tina Thorpe.
Buncombe teachers seek better pay, bigger voice
The Buncombe County Association of Educators delivered a three-pronged request to the Buncombe County Board of Education at its April 11 meeting that had the support of nearly 1,200 teachers and more than 100 community allies.
School library book bans come to Buncombe
Until recently, local school districts had largely avoided the national wave of book bans. Despite some activists making noise in local school board meetings last summer, there had been no formal requests to remove books from school libraries in Asheville City or Buncombe County schools. But by November, 20 books had been challenged by a group of parents at Enka High School.
Letter: Ripple effects of BCS book ban
“Reading here about the new Buncombe County Schools board book ban, I might run for the board instead of the Soil and Water Conservation District in opposition and also to represent childless residents against the parental ‘rights’ dictatorship of sociobiological ideocracy.”
BCS board rejects requests to remove nine books from district schools
One month after banning a book from all district high schools, the Buncombe County Board of Education unanimously agreed at its March 7 meeting to keep nine others available to students at Enka High School.
Buncombe advances school district consolidation study
While one local public school district redraws its district lines and the other considers merging its two middle schools, Buncombe County is moving forward with a study to explore consolidation of the two districts.
BCS board bans book from all district high schools
At its Feb. 8 meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Education voted unanimously to remove author Ellen Hopkins’ fictional 2009 book, Tricks. Three other books under consideration — Hopkins’ Perfect, Patricia McCormick’s Sold and Sarah Gruen’s Water for Elephants — remain on county high school library shelves, based on recommendations from the Buncombe County Schools’ Media and Technology Advisory Committee.
School board seeks more public input on new voting maps
The Buncombe County Board of Education doesn’t particularly like any of its options for new voting maps, as required by a law the N.C. General Assembly passed last fall. As a result, several attendance zones might see up to 30% of its population reassigned to other districts.
WTF: How a library gets its books
Some parents have made frequent appearances at school board meetings to argue that various books — usually related to sexual health or depicting LGBTQ+ students and families — don’t belong in libraries accessible to children. The latest edition of Xpress’s WTF — “Want the Facts?” — series looks at the policies and procedures that determine how books are chosen for school and county libraries.
Buncombe schools passes new Parents’ Bill of Rights policies
After collecting a month’s worth of feedback from parents, teachers and community members, Board member Rob Elliot said the board did its best to mirror the community’s wishes in the policies while still following state law.
BCS board delays updating policies related to Parents’ Bill of Rights
Representatives from the Asheville-based Campaign for Southern Equality asked board members to slow down approval of policies related to Senate Bill 49 during public comment. They believe the bill contradicts Title IX, a federal law that prohibits discrimination in schools on the basis of gender.
New report shows Buncombe schools outperformed state in most metrics last year
The report shows that Buncombe County Schools cohort graduation rate is nearly five points higher than the state average.