A study to determine the feasibility of the consolidation of Buncombe County’s two public school districts continues on schedule despite Tropical Storm Helene.
Tag: Buncombe County Schools
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Buncombe County Schools to reopen to students Oct. 25
All 45 of the district’s schools now have nonpotable water, power and internet service, BCS Superintendent Rob Jackson told the Buncombe County Board of Education at an emergency meeting Oct. 18.
Buncombe County Schools continues to work toward reopening
Schools remain closed in Western North Carolina’s largest school district as officials scramble to get portable toilets and hand-washing stations shipped to Buncombe County Schools’ 45 campuses.
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:
More WNC schools are taking advantage of free meal programs for students
Hungry kids can’t learn. That’s one thing Heather Smith has learned in nearly a decade as a teacher.
“I truly believe that they have a hard time focusing if they’re worried about when their next meal is coming or if they don’t have energy,” says Smith, an eighth-grade math teacher at Waynesville Middle School.
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.
County Commission candidates make pitches at CIBO forum
Candidates talk about spending, support for education and what regulating short-term rentals should look like.
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.
PHOTOS: Buncombe County Association of Educators rallies for increased education spending
At a rally in Pack Square June 6, the Buncombe County Association of Educators, an organized advocacy group for teachers, argued that the state of North Carolina and Buncombe County governments should allocate more funding for education.
Teachers’ mental health gets new focus
Kate Wargo moved to Asheville in fall 2021 with hopes for a fresh start. Teaching elementary school during the COVID-19 pandemic had left her exhausted, anxious and depressed. “It was the first time I felt dehumanized,” she says of the previous two years teaching fourth grade in Pennsylvania.
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.
Buncombe chooses vendor for school district consolidation study
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted 5-1 to pay Charlotte-based education consultants Prismatic Services about $300,000 to provide a comprehensive report, including an analysis of the risks and benefits of consolidating Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools.
Buncombe to approve vendor to study school district consolidation
The possible consolidation of Buncombe County’s two public school districts will get a little more real on Tuesday, March 19.
What’s new in food: Culinary celebrations for St. Patrick’s Day
Where to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day with food; a pop-up at Stay Glazed Donuts; the AVL Food Series kicks off; and more.
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.
Letter: BCS book ban will backfire
“By banning this book, the county schools have just made it very popular and sought after by many students.”