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As rescue and recovery efforts continue in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is coordinating a statewide response to support impacted schools — including 28 school districts, 459 local public schools, and 24 public charter schools.
On Thursday, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt presented DPI’s initial Hurricane Helene relief request to the State Board of Education. Among other things, the package requests ongoing pay for school employees, school calendar flexibility, and $150 million to address building, equipment, and technology loss.
“There’s still a lot we don’t know yet,” Truitt said. “I can’t say how long it’s going to be before we know the extent of the damage to our public school infrastructure…. But we do anticipate the legislature coming back next week, so we’ve given them this document, but they know it’s fluid.”
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Many of the impacted school districts have not yet returned to classes, Truitt said, and the worst hit do not know yet when they can reopen.
In light of these school employees technically not working, Truitt said superintendents’ primary concern is “making sure employees remain whole financially.”
Therefore, DPI’s first request is that all public school employees “shall be deemed employed for scheduled instructional days missed due to Hurricane Helene.” The policy would be voluntary for charter schools, many of whom Truitt said are run by “mom and pop” boards.
DPI is also asking for up to $16 million to provide pay for school nutrition staff, based on October 2023 salary and benefits data.
The other requests include:
- Granting school calendar flexibility to impacted counties, “by making up days and/or deeming up to 20 days completed.”
- Allowing for “maximum flexibility beyond the currently allowed 15 remote instruction days or 90 remote instruction hours for good cause.”
- Allowing students enrolled in educator preparation programs (EPP) in impacted counties to “be deemed having completed the clinical internship requirement if graduating in December 2024 despite not meeting the full 16-week requirement.”
- Bonuses for qualifying principals in impacted counties, who were employed as of Oct. 1, to be paid no later than Nov. 30.
- $150 million toward repairs and renovations, school nutrition, equipment and supplies, and technology loss not covered by insurance.
That $150 million figure is just DPI’s starting ask, Truitt said, as impacted school districts still don’t know the full scope of the damage.
“Again, we don’t know. All we have to go on is what was needed in Hurricane Florence,” she said.
Class size waivers are not among the requests, Truitt said, because she already has the ability to grant such waivers in extenuating circumstances. Individual schools can request class size waivers through DPI’s Financial and Business Services, she said. DPI has also extended any grant and reporting applications for impacted districts.
Some school leaders have also expressed concerns about attendance waivers for athletic eligibility. Truitt said DPI is seeking legal counsel to see if that is something they have the authority to waive.
“We definitely want to make sure that our students are not penalized for missing school when it comes to participating in athletics beyond the days that are forgiven,” she said. “Because we know that this is impacting families on a very individual basis.”
As daunting as the damage is, the resulting generosity and leadership have been just as powerful.
“It never ceases to amaze me, the irony that out of the worst tragedies comes a chance to see the best in in our fellow humans,” Truitt said. “This storm and its aftermath has certainly not been an exception…. I am just amazed at how resilient and loving our colleagues have been.”
DPI plays key role in assessing damage and supporting schools
The 28 school districts impacted by the hurricane include those in: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey counties, along with Asheville, Newton-Conover, and Hickory City Schools, and the Qualla Boundary.
Back in 2018, Ernst & Young led an operational assessment of DPI. Recommendation six of 17 called for a redesign of the regional support structure “to better coordinate and differentiate identified supports” to school districts.
That investment in regional infrastructure has never been more important.
Dr. Jeremy Gibbs was among the regional directors hired. He worked in the west before becoming DPI’s deputy superintendent of district and school support services in January 2024.
Gibbs has been on the ground in western North Carolina all week meeting with superintendents and visiting schools. His team of regional impact managers is also on the road or providing strategic communications support.
In Yancey County, Micaville Elementary sustained significant damage.
Stephanie Dischiavi leads district and regional support in northwestern North Carolina. She was in Mitchell and Avery counties this week.
In Mitchell, where the middle school is serving as a distribution point, she said, “Lost from his family, a little guy came in barefoot and needed a bath and needed clothes but was happy as a lark to see his teacher and get a Little Debbie cake.”
Taking pen to paper, teachers were keeping track of students and educators they heard were safe.
When Dischiavi realized they needed master lists of students and staff, she called DPI’s Chief Information Officer Dr. Vanessa Wrenn, who had DPI’s Chief Information Security Officer Jeremiah Jackson drive hard copies of the information needed to the counties out west.
In Avery County, Superintendent Dr. Dan Brigman said the county “experienced a devastating blow with major flooding, significant loss of life, and numerous families without homes.”
Power and communications within the county are slowly being restored, he said.
“Our initial assessment of our facilities indicate some roof leaks and water damage. We are very blessed to have minimal damage. However, a majority of our roads have been severely damaged or completely washed away,” Brigman said. “It is going to be a very slow rebuild and recovery in our county. Our primary focus at the present time will continue to be making sure all of our students, families, and staff are safe and accounted for.”
On Thursday, State Board of Education member John Blackburn echoed the slow nature of recovery work.
Blackburn, from Avery County, said FEMA has described Helene as “our Katrina.”
“The public schools have stood tall in every piece and part of this since this started a week ago, so we need to support our public schools,” Blackburn said. “It will fade from our minds, as it often does, and I would ask all of you to keep it in your thoughts and keep it in your prayers and to remember that this is going to be a long time and we need to continue to support these folks.”
How to help
As of Wednesday morning, the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund has raised $2.3 million to help those in Western North Carolina, according to a press release from Gov. Roy Cooper.
You can find more on recovery resources and aid in the story below.
