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Parents’ group urges community voice as Asheville City Schools moves through feasibility study
Summary
Representatives of Families of Asheville City Schools told the board the district’s feasibility/utilization study should be a genuine community process, cited two school closures in the past five years and described listening circles and enrollment outreach.
At the Asheville City Schools Board meeting, representatives of Families of Asheville City Schools (FACS) urged the board to ensure that the district’s feasibility and utilization study proceed as a true community effort, with robust public input before any decisions are finalized.
Kelly Moore Spencer and Christina Shimrock, both parents and FACS members, told the board they have been participating in enrollment events and hosting community listening circles. "We believe that public education is a public good and that our schools are the heart of our community," Kelly Moore Spencer said, asking the board to continue asking questions about how capacity is determined and to encourage as much public input as possible.
FACS highlighted that two district schools have been closed in the past five years and said feasibility or consolidation studies can generate fear and uncertainty for families. The speakers thanked district staff—naming Dr. Maggie Furman and April Dockery in their remarks—for responsiveness to questions and asked that the board include community voices in upcoming public input sessions tied to the study.
The speakers also noted recent practical steps taken this fall: enrollment outreach events the group helped with and plans for an exceptional children’s special education meeting in November for families from Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools. They said they will submit materials in response to the session law referenced in testimony (recorded in the meeting as "session law 84") that requires school districts to create a public book list for school and classroom libraries.
Superintendent Maggie Furman acknowledged continued engagement with community groups and said administration looks forward to follow‑up meetings in the Meet, Confer, Collaborate process. The board did not take an immediate policy vote in response to the public comment; members were invited to follow up and to participate in future public sessions planned as part of the study process.
The board moves next to its action items and financial audit presentation; FACS asked residents to reach out to the board by email to stay engaged.
