Schools in Asheville and Buncombe are learning about reopening to Helene and aiming for a safe return

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools provided information on planned return dates for students during a press conference on Oct. 17.

Dr. Asheville City Schools (ACS) Superintendent Maggie Fehrman said school district leaders are working with staff in the weeks following Helene to ensure ACS is “fully ready” for students to return on Monday, Oct. 28.

Fehrman said she has met with school and district leaders to “clearly define” what a successful reopening of the ACS will look like. A milestone for the system that marks the return of ACS students to classrooms is the availability of accessible water, which Fehrman announced during the conference.

Fehrman said the school system has recovered water at all ACS sites, even though that water is not drinkable. She also said service and pressure were “variable” at this time as leaks were found and repaired.

“There is still much work to be done before our students return to school buildings,” Fehrman said.

Fehrman's list of needs includes rerouting and testing bus trips, ensuring sufficient food and water.

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Fehrman said the school system spoke with FEMA, which told them how many gallons of water would be needed per person per hour. Fehrman said this formula would allow schools to provide enough water for every student to return on a shortened instructional day.

“We are working diligently to find additional sources of drinking water for students so that we can return to a full day of instruction as quickly as possible,” Fehrman said.

Fehrman said ACS will send information with additional details directly to students' families this week so that families can best prepare for their students' return to school.

“On behalf of the entire ACS Cougar crew, I would like to express our deep gratitude for all the resources and support that have gone into this area,” said Fehrman. “Together we can achieve more than we thought possible.”

Buncombe County Schools (BCS) Superintendent Rob Jackson also provided an update during the Oct. 17 press conference, but did not confirm a reopening date for the school system.

“We work with each of our schools and school communities to identify and serve the needs of each of our families among our students and staff,” Jackson said.

Jackson said Oct. 17 that 44 of the 45 Buncombe County schools have electricity, 34 have water and 38 of the schools have internet connection. Additionally, Jackson said BCS developed a drinking water distribution plan with a management team, ACS and seven local charter schools.

“As the Buncombe County Schools system, we look forward to supporting and delivering this water to all of our public schools, whether they are county schools, city schools or charter schools, because we look forward to serving the children .” throughout Buncombe County,” Jackson said.

Another measure BCS is taking, according to Jackson, is training several BCS members to be fire marshals, with the school members working with the Buncombe County Fire Marshal to complete the training.

“In several of our schools where water is flowing, pressure remains uneven,” Jackson said. “To ensure we can open as quickly as possible, we need to ensure we are trained in fire safety procedures in the event our sprinkler systems are not operational.”

Jackson said while he previously reported that none of the 45 schools in the Buncombe County school system suffered “catastrophic damage,” restoration work is continuing at seven of the 45 schools.

Jackson also said that while maintenance crews and contractors are continually working to complete repairs, the school's technology team is working to restore security and communications systems throughout the school system.

Another challenge that Jackson said the school system is “getting closer to solving” is the transportation issue.

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“Our buses travel more than 15,000 miles each school day,” Jackson said. “We have been traveling these routes, redesigning our routes and identifying stops in the community in areas where our buses may not be able to operate safely.”

Jackson said that after power has been restored to all schools in the system, their nutrition teams are working to prepare meals for students without potable water, with free breakfasts and lunches continuing to be offered to the “more than 22,000” students as they return to classrooms.

He said the school system is also working hard to prepare for the “emotional well-being” of staff and students as they return to school.

“We are grateful for the support of additional school counselors and school social workers for school systems across the state of North Carolina who, along with our school counselors and school social workers, will support our students and staff as we return to school.”

Jackson said the school system is aware of families staying away from the area and families that “need to plan,” including some staff members and their families. In response, Jackson said Buncombe County Schools will give at least 72 hours notice before returning to school.

“The work is progressing at an impressive pace,” said Jackson. “As we get closer to completing all parts, we are confident that we will be able to provide an exact reopening date very soon.”