After the sunset of COVID-era child care stabilization grants, Macon County Schools will have to increase costs for both Pre-K and after school care in the coming 2024-25 school year. 

The race for Board of Education in Jackson County is one step closer to being moved to November elections after county commissioners signed a resolution in support of the change. 

Despite the intention by some commissioners to make the school board race partisan in Macon County, it will remain non-partisan, in part due to an outpouring of opposition from both the public and members of the current school board. 

When Macon County Commissioners authorized LS3P Architectural Design Services to submit plans for the new Franklin High School to local and state agencies for review in October, the project seemed like an ambitious, albeit realistic dream.

Lily Seymour has been asked to join the State Board of Education as a student advisor. The Haywood County student’s appointment comes after hard work on other local and state advisory boards. During a recognition at the Nov. 3 Haywood County School Board meeting, Haywood County Schools administration sang her praises.

Education and public schools have never been completely immune from the shifting winds of politics, but events of the last few years have created a new level of interest among voters that — in most cases — is unprecedented.

Tommy Cabe, Macon County resident and Board of Education vice chairman, died Thursday, Sept. 1, after undergoing heart surgery in Asheville. A celebration of life service will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, at the Franklin High School Fine Arts Center. 

Abigail Clayton won the runoff for Jackson County School Boards of Education and will remain in her seat representing district two for the next four years.

Haywood County Schools has made the list of National Board Accomplished Districts recognized by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. 

This year’s race for the Haywood County School Board has had a lot of interest with 12 candidates running for five open seats, including the seat for chairman. Current Chairman Chuck Francis originally had a competitor, but he later dropped out of the race.