Hello, BCS Staff and Families.
Here’s a look at the BCS Board Briefing for March 7, 2024. The full broadcast is on YouTube, and photos are posted in this Google Drive folder.
In our Good News segment, we recognized our 2025 Teachers of the Year and announced the seven district finalists:
· At-Large District: Caitlin Burnett (Nesbitt Discovery Academy)
· Enka District: Martha Tallent (Enka Middle School)
· Erwin District: Jessica Jones (Erwin High School)
· North Buncombe District: Lee Jamison (Weaverville Primary)
· Owen District: Laura Josey (Black Mountain Elementary)
· Reynolds District: Taylor Sanders (Fairview Elementary)
· Roberson District: Jeffrey Eckler (Avery's Creek Elementary)
Action Agenda
· RESOLUTION TO APPROVE PRC 056 SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS COMPENSATION FOR BUS DRIVERS
· West Buncombe Elementary School: Accept Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) and Authorize Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) to Proceed
· North Buncombe Elementary School: Accept Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) and Authorize Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) to Proceed
· T.C. Roberson High School: Accept Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) and Authorize Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) to Proceed
· District Media and Technology Advisory Committee (MTAC) Recommendation
· RESOLUTION TO APPROVE ELECTORAL DISTRICTS
Consent Agenda
· Minutes: February 8, 2024 – Regular Meeting Open Session
· Minutes: February 15, 2024 – Special Called Public Hearing
· Personnel Report
· 2023-2024 Budget Amendment #3
· 2023-2024 Summer Program Plan
· Request to Increase Edulog Sole Source Purchase – Federal PRC140 – School Bus Safety Pilot Program
· Approval of Board Member Training Credits
Policies for Second Reading
· Policy 1310/4002 Parental Involvement
· Policy 4240/7312 Child Abuse and Related Threats to Child Safety
· Policy 4342 Student Searches
· Policy 4720 Surveys of Students
· Policy 5210 Distribution and Display of Non-School Material
· Policy 6401 Ethics and the Purchasing Function
· Policy 6430 State Purchasing Requirements for Equipment, Materials and Supplies
· Policy 7100 Recruitment and Selection of Personnel
· Policy 7130 Licensure
· Policy 7310/4040 Staff-Student Relations
· Policy 7510 Leave
· Policy 9125 Participation by Women and Minority-Owned Businesses
Information Agenda
Policies for First Reading
· Policy 3210 Parental Inspection of and Objection to Instructional Materials
· Policy 3610 Counseling Program
Announcements/Future Meetings
· Buncombe County Schools Spring Break will be April 1 – April 5.
· The next Board of Education Regular Meeting is April 11, 2024. Work session updates and Closed Session beginning at 4:00 p.m. in the Executive Conference Room, and the Open Session beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Minitorium at 175 Bingham Road, Asheville, NC 28806.
Superintendent's Comments
Good evening Parents, Members of the Community, Board Members, and Teammates,
I received our Enrollment Numbers for Month 5 this past week. We posted our highest Month 5 enrollment since the 2019-2020 school year. I am very proud that parents of students who have been enrolled in private schools, charter schools, or homeschools are choosing to enroll their children in our school system. I believe that this growth trend is being driven by the academic, artistic, and athletic success of our students and especially by the high quality of our faculty and staff.
This week we are celebrating National School Social Workers Week. We are so grateful for and dependent on the fact that, as others have said, “school social workers are exceptionally skilled in providing services to students who face serious challenges to school success, including disability, poverty, discrimination, abuse, neglect, mental illness, homelessness, bullying, familial stressors, and other barriers to learning.” The difference they make is hard to measure, but easy to feel. Thank you to each of our School Social Workers!
I would like to share with the Board and with the community that Buncombe County Schools is hosting an Educator Career Fair on this Saturday, March 9, 2023 from 9am - 12pm, right here. This is an amazing school system and we are looking for incredible and dedicated educators to join our team. If you are interested in attending the Job Fair or in applying for a position, please call the school system or refer to our website.
Last week I had the opportunity to join Board Members and District staff members in enjoying the talents of our youngest student-musicians as our Elementary, Intermediate, and Middle School All-County Chorus performed. It was amazing! A huge shout-out to our music educators across the school system. What a tremendous example of what it means to be a school system as students came together from Alexander to Azalea to Asheville, from Jupiter to Skyland to Enka, from Leicester to Montford to Montreat, and from Candler to Swannanoa to Forks of Ivy. Their voices, joined in harmony, vividly demonstrated how our Buncombe County Schools system is the tapestry that weaves together all of the communities across our great county.
This week we completed our thirteenth Community Town Hall. We have had two Town Halls meetings in each of our six districts and an additional virtual Town Hall meeting. I have tremendously enjoyed meeting parents and community members and want to thank all who were able to attend. I would like to especially thank our Board Members for their attendance. I want to thank our district team members, school staff members and our Sign Language and Spanish interpreters who were present at Town Halls. Combined with meetings with our Student Advisory Council, our Teacher Advisory Council, our Principals, and Assistant Principals, staff meetings in all 45 of our schools, meetings with community and civic groups, meetings with Town Councils, City Councils, and Commissioners, and our school system survey, we have literally had thousands of responses and great feedback as we continue to revise the Strategic Plan we will offer to the Board for your consideration during the May Board meeting. It is important to me and to our team that we are responsive to our community and transparent in all that we do. I hope that all of these meetings throughout the county demonstrate that commitment.
We know that we still have much work to do and that we can and must continue to improve. I just want you to know that I could not be prouder of all I continue to experience in our classrooms and schools.
We know that students, families, and the community have never needed a strong, loving, and caring school system as much as they do now. We accept this challenge. We commit to each and every one of our students. We will elevate to new and majestic heights. We will give our all because our students are worthy of our very best efforts.
To our team and to our Board Members, Thank you for all that you do for the students, families, teachers, and staff of Buncombe County Schools.
Madam Chair, this concludes my comments.