Superintendent Jackson told the Buncombe County Board of Education on Thursday that Buncombe County Schools had acted as a community safety net during and after a recent, severe storm and that academic progress continued despite widespread disruption.

“This was truly our finest hour,” Superintendent Jackson said, describing schools that served as shelters and buses that delivered meals, supplies and comfort to families affected by the storm. The superintendent credited district maintenance crews, central office staff, teachers and community partners for supporting recovery and keeping students learning.

The district reported several formal recognitions that board members said signaled continued academic momentum. Buncombe County Schools was named an Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Promising Practices District by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, and the district’s Migrant Education Program received the Department’s 2024–25 award for continuous program improvement. Superintendent Jackson said those honors reflect sustained instructional work tied to the district’s strategic plan and pointed to an upcoming revised instructional framework focused on classroom practice.

Board members and district staff described concrete recovery efforts: buses that delivered meals and supplies to displaced families, maintenance crews repairing damaged facilities, and central office staff coordinating relief. Graduation ceremonies were underway, the superintendent added, and staff and students were being recognized systemwide for resilience and achievement.

The board also approved a procedural amendment to the meeting agenda to add a later discussion about Robertson District school capacity; the amendment passed by voice vote and the added item was placed at the bottom of the action agenda, the board announced.

Board members thanked district staff for mounted relief and recovery efforts and said they would continue board development work over the summer. No new policy decisions or budget actions related to storm recovery were adopted at the meeting; the board’s remarks and recognitions were narrative and celebratory in nature.

Board members and staff said the district will continue to report on recovery and instructional implementation in future meetings.