After this piece was published, our partners at myFutureNC pointed out that impacted school districts in the Northwest part of our state were excluded from the original analysis (Ashe, Burke, Caldwell, and others). This post has now been revised to include all school districts impacted by Helene in Western North Carolina.
Three years after the pandemic, students in Western North Carolina (WNC) are confronting a new challenge: the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The storm, which wreaked havoc on this region of our state, has forced many school districts to shutter in those students’ communities. Throughout the mountains of WNC, 31 public school districts have been affected by Helene.
In those 31 public school districts in western North Carolina, 205,295 students have been impacted – and low-income students in these systems face unique challenges considering the recent devastation. We know that negative effects of natural hazards disproportionately impact low-income families. Vulnerability for those who were already experiencing challenges related food insecurity and housing instability will be exacerbated and it is likely that low-income students in many of our WNC school districts will have a harder time recovering from Helene. Anecdotally, we are aware that several students are relocating to other districts within NC or out-of-state in order to continue their education without interruptions. Options such as relocation to another school district or supplemental learning during this phase of school closure may not be accessible for these students which will widen existing gaps.
Of the 31 impacted school districts, 8 are still closed, 1 has announced a firm reopen date, 3 have announced tentative reopening dates, and 4 have not yet reported a tentative reopening date. Among them, Madison County Schools is the only district which has announced a firm reopen date of October 21st. Asheville City Schools, Buncombe County Schools and Avery County Schools are currently reporting tentative opening dates, which are subject to change. Watauga and Yancey County Schools have informed students and families that they will be closed at least until October 23rd and October 25th, respectively. Mitchell and Ashe County Schools have not announced a reopening date. School administrators in these districts are working hard to reopen, but there are still significant challenges to overcome due to the level of destruction Hurricane Helene caused.
Currently, there are 19,674 Economically Disadvantaged Students (EDS) attending school districts that are not operating at full capacity or open at all. EDS are students with family incomes less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Line (FPL). For example, a student living in a 4-person family with household income less than or equal to $57,720 would be classified as an EDS. Of these closed districts, four have larger shares of low-income students than the public-school average of North Carolina (52%). According to the United States Government Accountability Office: Disaster Recovery, low-income families usually have the hardest time preparing for and responding to disasters.
Although a closed district might have fewer low-income students than the state’s average of 52%, several individual schools within these districts primarily serve low-income students and have percentages of EDS above the state average. For example, 47% of Buncombe County Schools’ students are Economically Disadvantaged — but at Johnston Elementary School, a school within this district, 78% of students live in households below 185% of the FPL.
WHY DOES INCOME AND POVERTY MATTER FOR DISASTER RECOVERY?
According to the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO): school districts in low-income communities can face additional challenges in financial recovery from disasters. Among these unique challenges are:
Natural disasters such as floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes often produce large income shocks to households. In addition to property damage, survivors of natural disasters suffer injuries resulting in medical costs and lose wages due to workplace shutdowns, transportation disruptions, and daycare and school closures. These challenges are further exacerbated for low-income families and individuals, as most of them are directly associated with income.
As we look ahead, it’s clear that the road to recovery in Western North Carolina will be long and challenging, especially for the families with the fewest resources. Low-income students will bear the brunt of these hardships, making it critical for our community to come together and support them. We urge all North Carolinians to rally around our neighbors in WNC, providing sustained resources and support to help these families rebuild and heal. Together, we can make a difference in our collective journey toward recovery.
Ashe County Schools: https://www.asheschools.org/, Buncombe County and Asheville City Schools: https://wlos.com/news/local/asheville-buncombe-schools-plan-reopen-water-outage-same-time-shortened-hours-well-tanks-charter-schools , Avery County Schools: https://wataugaonline.com/avery-county-schools-announce-tentative-reopen-dates/, Madison County Schools: https://eu.citizen-times.com/story/news/madison/2024/10/11/helene-flooding-madison-county-schools-to-reopen-next-week/75619890007/, Mitchell County Schools: https://eu.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2024/10/11/western-nc-school-closures-openings-after-helene-flooding/75628317007/, Watauga County Schools: (20+) WCS Update 10/11/2024 WCS Families, We... - Watauga County Schools | Facebook, Yancey County Schools: https://www.yanceync.net/
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