Jackson schools see gains and losses in school performance

Jackson County Schools showed mostly level performance over last year with the release of statewide school performance data for 2017-18 this month. 

Live animal programs offered for schools

Schools and other educational organizations in Western North Carolina have the opportunity to bring wildlife education programs to their home turf through the Mountain Wildlife Outreach program. 

Opinion split on middle school

A public input session on the question of whether Jackson County should form a middle school drew split opinion during a public hearing Tuesday, Aug. 7.

Jackson mulls middle school

Jackson County stands alone among the western counties for not having a separate middle school, but a group of parents is hoping to change that. 

Haywood school board names principals

Several key staff positions within Haywood County’s high-performing public school system have been filled by some familiar faces, and there may be more to come. 

Macon passes $51 million budget

Following plenty of public input, Macon County commissioners approved a final budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year that includes more than $1 million in additional funding for public education. 

No harm in striving to understand each person

By Hannah McLeod • Guest Columnist

Do not decry this generation for pushing the boundaries of respect/understanding/acceptance. 

People today like to deride certain aspects of our generation. They speak sarcastically about how “everyone has to have their own place, everyone is individual and unique, everyone deserves safe spaces.” As if this is somehow inherently wrong or a bogus notion. 

SB 99: Who will teach NC’s children?

This is about money. But it is also about the North Carolina Legislature’s Conference Report on Senate Bill 99, especially the public school portion of the budget for the coming fiscal year. 

This is not about the shoddy way in which the budget was moved forward. But it is about the disrespect shown to those not given a choice. 

Something is wrong with this picture

I’ve been covering local governments in North Carolina for 30 years, and a small item in Macon County’s budget for 2018-2019 caught my attention like a flash of lightning: the public education budget is $8.5 million, or 18 percent of the total budget; the public safety budget (law enforcement and jails) is $13.9 million, or 28 percent of the county’s budget.

For decades, education and human services (DSS and health departments) have traditionally been the most expensive items for county commissioners. Now we’ve reached a point where it seems law enforcement and jails will take an equal amount or more of our local tax dollars, which inevitably means local schools will be squeezed even tighter.

More Boy Scouts programming open to girls

Darrian Childers is quitting Boy Scouts after joining a local troop about three years ago when his family moved to Waynesville. 

The 16-year-old made his decision not long after the Boy Scouts of America announced its decision to allow girls to participate in more of its programming alongside the boys. While Childers has really enjoyed his time with the Scouts, he doesn’t think the organization is moving in the right direction. 

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