Language Services
Buncombe County Schools (BCS) employs on-call interpreters and translators for Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, and Moldovan. When a different language is needed, BCS strives to contract with an outside agency.
Procedures to Request Interpretation or Translation Services
Each Buncombe County School has one "Designee" who works with the Language Services Coordinator in the central office to process the staff's in-person, virtual, or school-wide event interpretation needs. The Language Services Coordinator, in turn, assigns the job to the specific interpreter and/or translator.
***Please note the difference between an interpreter and a translator. An interpreter converts any oral or spoken language from one language to another in person or over the phone, including at parent-teacher conferences and school events. A translator converts written materials of documents, including flyers, letters, and handbooks.
OPTION #1 -Telephonic Interpreter: **30 minute limit**
No Designee or appointment is needed.
Available around the clock for more than 300 languages
After filling out this form, you will receive an automatic email response with the subject line "Telephonic Interpreting Access Info," containing all the necessary information to access these services.
OPTION #2 - Translation Request ALL BCS (Written) No Designee needed:
OPTION #3 - IN-Person or Virtual Requests and Events (Interpreter) DESIGNEE NEEDED:
Buncombe County Schools will train, monitor, and evaluate interpreters to provide a quality experience for both families and school staff.
To protect families' educational rights and privacy and avoid potential violations of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), school personnel who are also employed as interpreters will be limited to their base school except for school-wide events such as parents' programs or workshops.
Students as Interpreters
Using students as interpreters is NOT allowed in Buncombe County Schools, and it is considered a violation of BCS's approved standards.
Contact Information
Language Services Coordinator:
Xaymara Herrera
languageservices@bcsemail.org
Phone: 828-350-2295
Cell: 828-775-0736