Buncombe County Schools -

Hello, BCS Staff and Families.

Here’s a look at the BCS Board Briefing for December 5, 2024. The full broadcast is on YouTube, and photos are posted in this Google Drive folder.

The December meeting was the board's organizational meeting. The Honorable Superior Court Judge Alan Thornburg conducted swearing in ceremonies for newly elected board members Greg Cheatham and the Rev. Charles Martin, as well as re-elected board members Ann Franklin and Amy Churchill. The new school board elected Rob Elliot as chair and Amy Churchill as vice chair.
 
In a Holiday Music segment, the board enjoyed a performance of the North Buncombe High School Chamber Choir, directed by Jeannie Graeme.

Reports
· Consolidation Feasibility Study Update – Rachael Sawyer, Buncombe County Strategic Partnership Director 

Announcements/Future Meetings
· The next Board of Education Regular Meeting is January 9, 2025. 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.
· The Buncombe County Board of Education will meet in a joint special called meeting with the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners and the Asheville City School Board on January 16, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the AB Technical Community College Conference Center, 16 Fernihurst Drive, Asheville, NC 28801.

Superintendent's Comments
Good evening Parents, Members of the Community, Board Members, and Teammates,

As we approach the holiday season, I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude for the incredible resilience, compassion, and teamwork demonstrated by every member of our school community. In the aftermath of the most devastating natural disaster in our county’s history, you have all shown what it means to come together, support one another, and rebuild with hope and determination. You have shown that #TogetherWeRise.

The Blackhawks of the North Buncombe High School Chamber Choir are absolutely amazing! In sharing their gift of music tonight, they have powerfully demonstrated the greatest highlights of the month of December which are the multiple opportunities available to each of us to experience our students’ musical and dramatic talents through band, orchestra,and chorus winter concerts and through the winter musicals in schools across the school system. I am very grateful for all of our Arts instructors for all that they do to help our students discover and hone their talents. Details for all of the performances are located on the Arts Calendar on the school system website. I would encourage you to invite your friends and neighbors to join you in attending one or more winter concerts in our schools. I promise it will be incredible.

I want to join the Board tonight in welcoming Mr. Cheatham and Rev. Martin. Thank you both for offering yourself to serve the community, for the long hours of study and service you will give, and for the leadership you will share. On behalf of our faculty and staff, I wish you the very best as we join together to serve our students, their families, and our community.

As a school system and as a community, we continue to recover from the tragic impacts of Hurricane Helene. Even as we move forward, I have asked that every member of our staff share what they believe we did well and what we might improve upon in our storm response. As a school system, we are dedicated to continuous improvement. While we pray that our community never again goes through what we have just endured, we want to make sure that we use what we have learned since September 27th to grow and improve and that we share what we have learned with other school systems across the state and country so that they might also learn from our experiences.

We are in the midst of working with the Asheville Water System to test the water in our buildings. Unfortunately, these tests take time to receive the results. As the results are received, we will post them on our school system website. We will communicate with parents and staff as schools are cleared to begin using the water in their buildings for drinking and cooking.

As we approach the holiday season, to our Board of Education, thank you for your steadfast leadership and guidance. To our staff, thank you for your tireless dedication to our students and families. To our students, thank you for your strength and courage. And to our entire community, thank you for standing beside us, offering your hands, hearts, and resources to help us reopen our schools and restore a sense of normalcy for our children.

This season, I wish each of you peace, joy, and time to reflect on the incredible progress we have made together. While the road has not been easy, your collective efforts have shown the true spirit of this community. Together, we are stronger, and together, we will continue to move forward.

May your holidays be filled with love, rest, and renewed hope for the year ahead.

We remain committed to supporting each and every single student in our school system. Again, 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.

Mister Chair, congratulations on your election as Chair of the Board of Education. I look forward to working with you in this new role. This concludes my comments.