Building Tomorrow Together: A Strategic Plan for Visionary Education in Asheville City Schools

Over the past 5-8 years, ACS has experienced significant change and transition, including superintendent changes, COVID-19 and most recently the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene. Which is why Asheville City Schools has charted a path forward to address both immediate short-term challenges and establish a long-term vision for schooling in Asheville.

To address this aim, Asheville City Schools (ACS) launched a comprehensive strategic planning process during the 2024-2025 school year. The goal of this strategic planning process was threefold:

1. Create a comprehensive written strategic plan that outlines the following:
   • A Vision for the Asheville City Schools
   • The current conditions and shifts needed to meet the vision
   • Identified educational strategies prioritized for action over several years
   • Reciprocal accountability and communication plan
      
2. To engage the ACS community (students, parents, business/industry, and community members at large) in a unifying planning process in which a multitude of voices and opinions are engaged.
    
3. To build a plan based on a historical understanding of ACS's work, strengths, and growth areas, thus articulating a vision for moving forward that addresses past harms.