The North Carolina Association of School Administrators (NCASA) recognized 11 school districts, including Buncombe County Schools, for their leadership following Hurricane Helene.
Superintendents from each school system were presented with NCASA’s 2025 Raymond Sarbaugh Leadership Award on behalf of their district and administrative teams. The award, which honors the memory of NCASA’s first full-time executive director, is given annually to members who show outstanding leadership in public school service, and a commitment to enhancing and supporting efforts by fellow administrators and educators.
BCS Superintendent Dr. Rob Jackson accepted on behalf of the principals and administrators of Buncombe County Schools, joining superintendents from the city of Asheville and Ashe, Avery, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Watauga, and Yancey counties.
“The collective leadership shown by the superintendents, principals and other administrators in these 11 hardest-hit districts is nothing short of remarkable,” said Katherine Joyce, NCASA’s Executive Director. “Even as they faced heartbreak and loss of their own, these school and district leaders went above and beyond to ensure that local children and families had the essential support needed following their region’s devastation by this unprecedented natural disaster. They proved that public schools are indeed the heart of local communities.”
BCS principals and district leaders quickly mobilized when the Helene hit. They repurposed buses for evacuations, converted sports fields to helipads, and transformed gyms into distribution centers. They connected with staff and students and worked to fulfill many needs.
“Despite the challenges of no power, no water, no phones, and in some cases, no roads, BCS teammates instinctively did what they do each day - help our students and staff members succeed,” Dr. Jackson said. “Their duties seemingly changed minute-by-minute as they connected with families and learned of new needs. From organizing distribution hubs to hiking up mountains to literally overcoming obstacles to get fuel to mountaintop communication towers, I am so proud of our team’s dedication and leadership."
NCASA also commended school districts for banding together to provide counselors and social workers to assist students and teachers upon their return to schools.