Written by: Kimberly Jones and Deanna Townsend-Smith

Published by WRAL

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024 — As the General Assembly returns to decide disaster relief, it has the ability to uphold its constitutional responsibility by not sending additional monies to support private school vouchers and instead provide the needed funding to support and rebuild our public schools that serve communities without hesitation.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Kimberly Jones teaches high school English in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools and is the 2023 Burroughs Wellcome Fund N.C. Teacher of the year. Deanna Towsend-Smith is senior director of the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity.

As the nation’s children continue to recover from a crippling pandemic, COVID-19 – yet again in NC, many of our counties; especially, the western part of our state, are experiencing interruptions to the hubs that hold communities together – our NC public schools.

On Sept. 27, Hurricane Helene began its devastation on our western corridor impacting 200,000 students in 25 counties and over 400 schools. The area of our state lovingly referred to as the “land of the sky” given the endless mountain views, now needs the continual support of those on lower ground to recover.

• TO HELP: Donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund at – nc.gov/donate.
• TO VOLUNTEER: See volunteer opportunities at – nc.gov/working/volunteer-opportunities/volunteernc.
• TO SUPPORT SCHOOLS, STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS: Resources are listed at – ncfpsc.org/disaster-relief/

Many areas affected in the western part of NC were already experiencing lack of resources and opportunities such as high poverty levels in certain areas, numerous infrastructure needs, limited broadband, and access to affordable and local healthcare. As we learned with the pandemic, this natural disaster will only exacerbate the pre-existing and longstanding inequities.

Public education in North Carolina is the foundation for good citizenship. Even through personal loss, lack of power and water – school districts in the western corridor have opened doors and serve as shelters and resources for the community. Our public schools, local administrators, and educators are stepping up in unprecedented ways to support and serve their students, families, and communities.

From shelter and meals to supply drives, fundraisers, and simply checking in on students’ and families’ well-being, our public schools are doing what they’ve always done…opening their doors to serve everyone and leading through love. We see through this tragic event, neighbors rallying to help one another, while others not impacted by this event, come together to provide needed support by being good samaritans in this time of need.

North Carolina’s public schools have always been more than mere institutions of learning; they are vibrant hubs of heart and hard work that build and nourish community culture, pride, and togetherness. They bring together students, families, and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds in pursuit of one of the most vital public goods—education.

With no exclusion, denial, or tuition required, our public schools freely welcome and serve all young people and foster an environment where they are educated, encouraged, and empowered to discover and develop their talents and grow as learners and human beings. Whether they be social, emotional, or literal, our public schools serve as lighthouses that offer safe haven and hope in the midst of life’s storms.

It will be years, as our eastern neighbors will report, before the schools and districts in the western part of the state return to a “new normal”. As reported at the N.C. State Board of Education meeting last week, there will be immediate and long term needs that will need to be addressed, starting with the initial legislative requests. Now more than ever, public dollars need to support public schools.

In North Carolina, the Supreme Court ruled that the state’s Constitution guarantees access to a quality public education for every child. As the General Assembly returns to decide disaster relief, it has the ability to uphold its constitutional responsibility by not sending additional monies to support private school vouchers and instead provide the needed funding to support and rebuild our public schools that serve communities without hesitation.

We wonder if the General Assembly has the will to be the good samaritans for our NC public schools to respond to the need as a result of this hurricane and also reconsider its previous action to move our public school dollars to support private school vouchers.

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