“Do you know what this is about?” a teacher asked as she walked into the theater at West Buncombe Elementary Tuesday. Teachers, who by nature are good at following directions, quickly came in at 3:10pm as requested, wondering why the urgency of a last-minute meeting.
“I didn’t want to wait any longer to share the good news with you, that our superintendent, Dr. Jackson, shared with me,” said principal Brad Johnson. “Thanks to your work with our students, West Buncombe Elementary has been nationally recognized as a Top Ten Title I School in North Carolina.”
Each year, the National Elementary and Secondary Education Act Distinguished Schools Program (NAESPA) recognizes schools that receive federal funding for positive educational advances and outstanding student achievement. NAESPA is recognizing West Buncombe Elementary for its excellence in serving special student populations.
“I see the hard work and dedication when I visit your classrooms,” said BCS Superintendent Dr. Rob Jackson, who came to the pop-up celebration along with District 6 Board of Education representative Kim Plemmons. “You lead with your hearts and put all you have into your students, and it shows. We are so incredibly proud of you and this school.”
The brief gathering ended in celebratory cake, served by assistant principal Lori McCourry, as joyful teachers returned to the classrooms to prepare for families coming to the evening’s school open house event.
NAESPA will recognize the Top 10 North Carolina Title I schools at a special event next month in Greensboro. At that time, West Buncombe could be selected to represent the state at the NAESPA National Conference in February.
This is the second time within two years that a BCS school has been selected as a Top 10 Title I School. In October 2023, NEASPA honored Black Mountain Primary School for closing the achievement gap between student groups for at least two consecutive years.