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Students mark REAP fifth anniversary, ask board to declare September anti-bullying month
Summary
High-school students and student groups presented to the board: REAP students celebrated five years of work and reported survey results; a Save Club representative asked the board to declare September as violence awareness/anti-bullying month.
Student representatives updated the Asheville City Schools Board of Education on two student-led initiatives: the REAP (equity ambassador) program marked its fifth year and described survey results and projects, and Save Club (Students Against Violence Everywhere) asked the board to declare September as violence awareness/anti-bullying month.
A contingent of REAP students led by student presenters including AJ Wachawan II, Estrella Moreno and others described five years of student projects, a student survey collecting responses from 613 students about the district's graduate profile, and progress on a district strategy for addressing race and racism in classrooms. REAP students said the 2022-23 survey found 35% of students said race and racism was never addressed in class, and that by 2025 the survey response mix had shifted to show more students reporting that the topic is addressed most of the time or always. Students said REAP-developed projects include a film festival, school trips to legacy sites, student presentations at national conferences and student-led community events.
Joe Hooton spoke for Save Club at Asheville High and described the club's safety work during the year, which included promoting an anonymous reporting system, anti-cyberbullying outreach, an anti-bullying poster contest and moments of silence for victims of gun violence. Hooton asked the board to declare September a violence awareness/anti-bullying month to promote prevention and the anonymous reporting system; he characterized the request as a formal consideration for the board.
Board members thanked students for their presentations. There was no vote on the Save Club proclamation request at the meeting; the request was recorded as a student appeal to the board for consideration.
Student presenters said REAP will continue next year with student leaders and biweekly meetings; Save Club said it plans continued safety-promoting events and distribution of poster winners districtwide.
