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Hurricane Helene Updates

Hurricane Helene Updates

Statement from Superintendent Dr. Maggie Fehrman on School Reopening, Resource Distribution and Hurricane Relief Volunteer Opportunities

Tuesday, October 8th, 2024

 

Dear Asheville City Schools Families and Staff,

Tomorrow during the Buncombe County Government daily briefing, I will share important updates on the steps we are taking to reopen schools. You can listen to the briefing on 88.1 WCQS, or watch the livestream on the Buncombe County Government website. After the daily briefing ACS will share a recording of the briefing along with additional information about upcoming bridge learning opportunities for students.

We are deeply grateful for the generous donations we have received from our community. To support our students and families, we are opening a Community Resource Center at the William Randolph Campus at 90 Montford Avenue. Our transportation department will also be delivering supplies to housing communities and legacy neighborhoods. The Resource Center will be open Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 1 PM starting Wednesday, October 8th. Donations will be accepted Monday through Friday, from 1 PM to 3 PM.

We encourage all ACS staff, high school students, and parents to volunteer their time to support our community. If you have questions or would like to sign up for a volunteer opportunity, please contact Melissa Hedt, the Executive Director of Community Engagement, at melissa.hedt@acsgmail.net, or at 828-747-1279, or visit our volunteer sign-up sheet at Cougar Crew Hurricane Relief Volunteer Sign-Up.

In addition to the bridge to learning opportunities and community resources, we will be providing breakfast and lunch at William Randolph Campus and Lucy S. Herring Elementary from Wednesday, October 10th to Friday, October 12th. Meals will be available for all children ages 0-18 from 11 AM to 1 PM.

Starting Monday, October 12th, meals distribution will move to Hall Fletcher Elementary and Isaac Dickson Elementary during the same hours.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we navigate these challenging times together.
 


 

Statement from Superintendent, Dr. Maggie Fehrman on School Reopening

Monday, October 7th, 2024

 
Dear Asheville City Schools Families,
 
We are writing to provide an update on our ongoing efforts to support our students and families in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
 
I want to assure our families that we are not waiting for the municipal water system to be fully restored in order to open schools. We have explored several options including pressurized water tanks and renting restroom trailers. The most promising option however, is drilling wells at each school. If we can access groundwater through a well, we can potentially have water available on select campuses in about two weeks and then expand from there. We are also working to identify the resources needed for flushing brigades on each campus with volunteers in the intermediate. We will share more in the next day or two with a more concrete timeline on the reopening schedule.
While we continue to work towards a long term sustainable solution, we are also working to provide our students with learning activities before we can fully reopen. Today, a dedicated team of 51 Asheville City Schools staff, community members, and district leadership gathered to plan interim in-person and remote learning experiences to keep students engaged and progressing academically and socially. Another team also refined our system for managing volunteers and donations to ensure maximum impact on our families and staff. 
 
I want to remind everyone that we will begin daily food distribution beginning Wednesday, October 9, at the William Randolph Campus and Hall Fletcher Elementary School from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. This service will provide meals to children ages birth to 18, including a to-go lunch and breakfast for the following day.
 
We miss our students and staff, and we want them back in our schools.  Thank you for your continued patience, support, and understanding.