| Educating Our Children |  |
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 One of the most important considerations when moving to a new area is the quality of education. Families new to Western North Carolina will enjoy a range of schools dedicated to providing a positive learning environment. The public school districts that serve the area include the Asheville City Schools as well as the schools districts for Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood, Madison and Transylvania counties.Asheville City Schools With more than 4,000 students, the Asheville City Schools (www.asheville.k12.nc.us) is composed of nine schools: a preschool, high school, middle school, alternative middle school and five elementary schools. Intending to promote diversity, achievement and choice, the Asheville City Schools allows parents to choose from any elementary school in the district if space is available and the school is racially balanced. Each elementary school is a magnet school with a distinct “theme,” and students may choose the theme which best matches their interests. Parents are encouraged to apply for their chosen elementary school before March 22. Although every effort is made to accommodate the request, space is limited and preference is given in order of the date the application was received. For the past few years, Asheville City Schools has focused on the basics – reading, writing and math – in its elementary schools. The district promotes mastering skills in the early grades in order to ensure success in high school and beyond. Additionally, as part of the artistic culture of Asheville, there is a focus on the arts including band, video production, drama, debate and choir. Short for “Knowledge is Power Program,” the KIPP Academy is an academically intense school solely for fifth-graders to prepare them for high school, college and the world beyond. With an extended day lasting from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., KIPP Academy also holds class for five hours on Saturdays and a month during the summer. Additionally, students take a yearly field trip to destinations including Washington D.C., Boston, Utah and New York. Proving the success of the early grades, Asheville Middle School has been named a School of Distinction for the past four years, and Asheville High School was recognized in Newsweek’s top 100 high schools for student participation in Advanced Placement courses. Asheville City Schools highly encourages parental and community involvement. In fact, more than 30 businesses are involved with Asheville City Schools, and a large number of volunteers offer their time to help students with their studies during and after school. Buncombe County Schools The areas outside of Asheville are served by the Buncombe County Schools (www.buncombe.k12.nc.us). With 25,000 students enrolled in 23 elementary schools, an intermediate school, seven middle schools and six high schools, Buncombe County Schools is the eighth-largest district in North Carolina. The district has one of the highest SAT score averages in the state with 1,068, 42 points higher than the national average and 62 points above the state average. Across the district, the average percentage of students grades three through eight who are proficient in math went from 72 percent in 1992-1993 to 93 percent in 2002-2003. Reading scores for the same group went from 69 percent to 89 percent across the same decade. Cane Creek Middle School in Fletcher has been named a North Carolina School of Excellence for the past two years – a distinction that means 90 percent or more of the student body is proficient in reading and math. In fact, Cane Creek even exceeded this status, achieving more than 95 percent proficiency in nearly every subject area and grade level. Signifying the abundance of community involvement that helps Buncombe County Schools work, the PSNC Energy Homework Center was established at Pisgah Elementary in Candler by PSNC Energy, a natural gas provider that serves Western North Carolina. The Homework Center provides students with opportunities to receive help with their homework for one-and-a-half hours after school Monday through Thursday. Henderson County Schools With a motto of “Where Tomorrow Begins,” Henderson County Schools (www.henderson.k12.nc.us) has also been acknowledged for providing a quality education for its students. In 2004, 11 of the district’s 21 schools were named North Carolina Schools of Excellence and seven were named Schools of Distinction. With an enrollment of about 12,000 students, Henderson County employs a staff of 1,670. Eighty-four of its teachers have received the distinguished National Board Certification. Accommodating its growth in recent years, Henderson County Schools recently built a new 100,000 square-foot middle school, which opened during the 2003-2004 school year. Overall, the district has 12 elementary, four middle and four high schools in addition to its alternative school, Balfour Education Center. While most of the schools operate on a traditional schedule, Henderson Elementary operates on a Flex Quarter Calendar with nine-week grading periods followed by three-week intercessions. Because of growth in the area, the district plans to renovate Dana and Hillandale elementary schools and to build another new elementary schools within the next few years. Haywood County Schools Recognized as one of the best school systems in the state, Haywood County Schools (www.haywood.k12.nc.us) is made up of nine elementary, three middle and three high schools. The district consolidated in 1965 and now enrolls about 7,350 students in grades kindergarten through twelve. With a motto of “success for today, preparation for tomorrow and learning for a lifetime,” Haywood County Schools certainly lives up to its promise. State accountability tests show that 85 percent of students in Haywood County are at or above grade level. Junaluska Elementary in Waynesville features brightly decorated, student-centered classrooms and a new computer lab. Junaluska has been acknowledged as a School of Distinction or a School of Excellence since the North Carolina ABCs were first implemented. In nearby Canton, Meadowbrook Elementary offers a year-round curriculum and has been named as a School of Excellence for the past three years. Located in a rural area five miles outside of Waynesville, Bethel Middle School houses about 300 students, providing an opportunity for each student to stand out. Sixty percent of teachers at Bethel Middle have attained their master’s degrees. Canton Middle School operates on a four-by-four block schedule and features a new Reading Achievement Program, an after-school SOS program for homework and two new computer labs. In Waynesville, Tuscola High School offers plenty of opportunities for its 1,230 students including advanced placement courses and a range of extracurricular activities. Tuscola High also arranges partnerships with Haywood Community College and Western Carolina University. With an average SAT score of 1,047, more than 85 percent of Tuscola graduates go on to pursue post-secondary education. Madison County Schools Located in the rural mountain areas of North Carolina, Madison County Schools (www.madison.k12.nc.us) is student-centered, “providing comprehensive educational experiences in a safe environment that equips and empowers students to be responsible citizens.” With just over 2,500 students, Madison County Schools operates four elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. Class sizes in all schools are far below the state averages, and in most cases are below 20 pupils per class. According to the North Carolina ABC’s Accountability Report, all four of Madison County’s elementary schools were recognized as Schools of Distinction or Honor Schools of Excellence. Hot Springs Elementary was named most improved. Madison High School in Marshall was created in 1974 by merging other high schools in Hot Springs, Laurel, Mars Hill, Marshall and Spring Creek. Serving 700 students, Madison High prides itself on being small enough for teachers and administrators to know each student. Transylvania County Schools With just over 3,700 students in four elementary, two middle, two high schools and an alternative school, Transylvania County Schools’ motto is “More Than Test Scores.” However, this district (www.transylvania.k12.nc.us) has been high-performing since the inception of the ABC model of accountability 11 years ago. The average reading score for grades three through eight was 93 percent, and for math the average was 96 percent, both significantly higher than the state average. Transylvania’s two high schools have outstanding SAT scores – Brevard High’s average is 1,089 and Rosman High’s is 1,036. In 2004, five Transylvania schools met high growth, with five Honor Schools of Excellence and one School of Distinction. Undoubtedly, community involvement has helped to boost performance at Transylvania County Schools. The district welcomes parents and volunteers, who are highly active in the school program. A recent bond referendum that passed provides new state-of-the-art science labs, new gymnasiums, a media center, advanced technology and distance learning labs that allow students to take courses from the North Carolina School of Math and Science and other universities. PHOTO COURTESY OF BLAKE MADDEN
Public Schools Asheville City Schools 85 Mountain Street Asheville, NC 28802 828-255-5304 www.asheville.k12.nc.us Buncombe County Schools Henderson County Schools Haywood County Schools Madison County Schools Transylvania County Schools Private Schools Asheville Christian Academy Asheville Montessori School Asheville School Blue Ridge Montessori School Carolina Day School Christ School Emmanuel Lutheran School Evergreen Community Charter Hanger Hall School for Girls Learning Community School Montessori Learning Center Mount Pisgah Academy Nazarene Christian School Rainbow Mountain Children’s School Veritas Christian Academy |
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