First Public Input Taken on Potential Asheville City, Buncombe Schools Merger
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A Possible Transformative Merger
Six months into the undertaking, education consultancy firm Prismatic Services Inc. has begun collecting public feedback on merging the Asheville City and Buncombe County Schools into a single district. Several sessions have been planned to ensure public participation in the significant decision, the first of which was held on September 9 at Owen Middle School.
A Spectrum of Perspectives
The school auditorium reverberated with diverse voices representing a blend of stakeholders – educators, parents, students, and community leaders. Elaine Ferguson, a former educator, proclaimed, “I care deeply about all students.” She accentuated the necessity for equity in academics alongside quality.
From the students’ corner, Owen High Junior Eliza Martin, felt that she was able to voice her vision despite the unfamiliar territory of the forum. She conveyed her concern for the education quality of future students aspiring that it should be as good, if not better than her existing experience.
The Interactive Community Forum
A majority of the attendees turned up expecting a traditional town hall format for a inputs. However, Prismatic Services opted for an engaging interactive model in which the attendees could, at their own pace, visit different stations and provide their views. Dr. Tatia Prieto, Founder of Prismatic Services, mentioned that one could end up spending just 30 minutes or the entire duration of the forum, depending upon their inclinations. Some preferred to converse directly with the consultants, who were readily available at a dedicated station.
Josh Wells, Owen Middle Community School Coordinator, lauded the setup saying that the format ensured that “people can write in their own words“, emphasizing on the importance of personal narration and comprehension of the entire proposal.
The Road Ahead
Riding the wave of constructive collaboration and open-mindedness, the consultancy encountered in the first session, Prismatic has extended invitations for the forthcoming nine meetings scheduled this month. Dr. Prieto emphasizes the importance of representing every possible cross-section of the public, urging every concerned individual to participate and provide their valuable feedback.
Here’s a quick overview of the schedule for the rest of the sessions:
- Tuesday, Sept. 10 – 3:45-6:30 p.m. – East Asheville Library
- Thursday, Sept. 12 – 3:45-6:30 p.m. – Cane Creek Middle School
- Friday, Sept. 13 – 11:30 a.m.-2:15 p.m. – Weaverville Community Center
- Monday, Sept. 16 – 3:45-6:45 p.m. – Isaac Dickson Elementary School
- Tuesday, Sept. 17 – 3:30-6:30 p.m. – Erwin High School
- Wednesday, Sept. 18 – 5:30-8:30 p.m. – Enka Intermediate School
- Thursday, Sept. 19 – 3:45-6:30 p.m. – Hall Fletcher Elementary
- Friday, Sept. 20 – 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. – Skyland/South Buncombe Library
- Monday, Sept. 23 – 5:30-7:30 p.m. – Online forum
The series of forums are an essential part of the process preceding the potentially transformative merger of Asheville City and Buncombe Schools. The sessions signify the prevalence of a democratic process where everyone has a chance to voice their views and shape the future of education in Asheville.
