“We’ve been out of compliance for 14 years,” Housing Authority of the City of Asheville President and CEO Monique Pierre told a May 22 meeting of the HACA Board of Commissioners.
Tag: early childhood education
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Letter: School site could be repurposed for reparations
“Why not locate a resource center and an early childhood education center for Black students there, at 441 Haywood Road?”
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.
Buncombe to allocate COVID relief funds for more beds for homeless
As part of an interlocal agreement, the City of Asheville will administer $875,000 in county funds, as well as an equal city match, to three area shelter providers for extra beds.
Commissioners to hear early childhood education update
The presentation, available on the Board of Commissioners agenda prior to the Sept. 6 meeting, focuses on the nearly $3.75 million awarded from the county’s early childhood education fund in fiscal year 2021-2022. Across 21 funded projects, according to the presentation, 71% of goals were met, with most shortfalls coming in enrollment, attendance and staffing targets.
Dogwood Health Trust releases early childhood education data
The 66-page report depicts the landscape for working parents of children younger than 6 in WNC, early childhood education options and the education level and compensation of early childhood education providers.
Buncombe floats $7.5 million pre-K expansion
Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, who chairs the county board’s Early Childhood and Development Committee, outlined a plan for $7.5 million in additional spending on pre-K expansion over the next two years. Funding would come from the county’s roughly $27 million in remaining federal American Rescue Plan Act money.
Letter: Families need reliable, sustainable child care system
“An increase in the subsidy rate formula will allow more centers to continue operating and to increase pay for the child care workforce.”
Letter: Meaningful change can start with alternative education
“Early childhood education offers a better model of learning that honors and develops the whole human, but in later grades, schooling is equipped for an industrial world that no longer exists.”
Letter: Done right, child care funds will help families, economy
“In Buncombe County and across our state, the demand for child care spots far exceeds the supply.”
Parent’s story highlights difficulties connecting with Asheville City Schools
Asheville City Schools Superintendent Gene Freeman disputed the account of a parent who said administrators failed to respond to repeated requests for information about what the closure of Asheville Primary School would mean to her daughter. After being provided with details by Xpress, Freeman spoke with Sara Shea on March 18.
Property revaluation key to 2021-22 Buncombe budget
If the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners were to maintain the property tax rate at 52.9 cents per $100 of assessed value for fiscal year 2021-22, noted Buncombe budget analyst Rusty Mau, the county would see about $237 million in property tax revenue, up nearly 12% from the $212 million budgeted for 2020-21.
County approves massive investment in early ed despite fiscal concerns
Over the protests of Republicans, who felt the allotment was too large and would put a burden on taxpayers, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved a multimillion dollar investment in early childhood education on Oct. 30.
County considers multimillion-dollar investment in early childhood education
Buncombe County commissioners will vote during their regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 30, on a fund to boost access to early childhood education.
County approves GE incentives, launches new early childhood ed initiatives
Though breaking news about new Wanda Greene indictments made it hard for elected officials and members of the public to focus on anything else, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved $685,000 in incentives for a planned local investment by GE Aviation and announced two new early childhood education initiatives during its meeting on June 5.
Buncombe explores barriers to early childhood education
Buncombe County commissioners want to provide broader access to child care in Buncombe County. To that end, they gathered a braintrust of local education experts to explore obstacles to accessible early childhood education and solutions to those problems.
Julian Award winner Melissa Wilson: Commitment and empathy in the classroom
At 19, Melissa Wilson was a single mother, working at McDonald’s and living below the poverty line. She decided to enroll in a class at A-B Tech that was part of the college’s jobs placement program. With it came free child care. Unfortunately, the class itself didn’t speak to Wilson. “I was training for an […]
Child Watch Tour emphasizes importance of early childhood education
About 75 people attended this year’s annual Child Watch Tour that emphasized the importance of a child’s first 2000 days — the length of time between when a child is born and enrolls in kindergarten. Currently, 1,068 children are on the waiting list for subsidized child care in Buncombe County. (photo by Caitlin Byrd)