31.33 inches.
That is the amount of rainfall, according to the North Carolina State Climate Office, that fell in some areas of Western North Carolina due to Hurricane Helene.
The catastrophic storm caused massive flooding and mudslides in a region that had not experienced a weather event like Helene in nearly 100 years. As a result, people lost power, homes, businesses, and, tragically, in some cases, their lives.
In the storm's immediate aftermath, local public schools stepped up like always. Schools have transformed into shelters and distribution centers. Teachers called through class rosters to check on their students and their families. And public schools around the state started welcoming displaced students.
Unfortunately, some schools in Western North Carolina may remain closed for weeks, months, or longer, leaving students and educators without a physical space to return. For educators, this could mean prolonged periods without work.
That is why NCAE members rallied statewide on Wednesday, October 9th, holding “Schools Stand Together” events. They raised money for hurricane relief, gathered supplies, and signed a petition calling on North Carolina lawmakers to pass legislation that would support educators, students, and families during this critical time. The #SchoolsStandTogether petition named five specific needs:
- Protect all public-school staff from pay and leave reductions for the duration of the crisis ensuring no educator suffers unnecessary financial hardship.
- Provide calendar flexibility for impacted schools districts through the end of this school year, recognizing the immense disruption communities will face.
- Ensure school districts are not penalized for student enrollment declines due to temporary relocations, safeguarding vital funding during this transition.
- Meals for students in the Western counties hit by Helene so no child goes hungry while families work to rebuild their lives.
- Rebuild safe and sturdy schools across the state.
“Public schools are the cornerstone of our communities, especially when a natural disaster strikes,” said NCAE President Tamika Walker Kelly. “We are calling on lawmakers to pass legislation, as they have in the past, to support our teachers and public-school workers during this critical time. By taking swift action, our state lawmakers can ease the burden on educators, students, and families—many of whom may have lost everything.”
At least 25 events were held across North Carolina, highlighting the needs of educators, public schools, and students in the aftermath of the storm.
“These families have experienced a trauma, homelessness, and loss of loved ones and food and security, and that all has to be addressed to help the community,” said Wake NCAE President Christina Spears at Fuquay-Varina Elementary School in Wake County.
The “Schools Stand Together” event in Fuquay-Varina featured a call-and-response chant and a march in support of western North Carolina. Other events across the state also featured signs, chants, and social media posts shared using the hashtag #SchoolsStandTogether.
“Our scholars deserve safer sturdier schools, we deserve the resources that we need because if the children are our future, we need to invest in them,” said Torian Spruill, who led the #SchoolStandTogether event at South Creek Middle School in Martin County.
Educators at these events also urged lawmakers to uphold Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of House Bill 10, which would have allocated millions of dollars to private school vouchers without providing similar support for public schools. Many attendees echoed the sentiment that there are more urgent issues to address than vouchers, especially after the hurricane.
“This is so important because right now we do not need to spend money on private school vouchers,” said Jane Miller a librarian at Fuquay-Varinia Elementary. “We need to send it to western North Carolina to rebuild safe and healthy schools and communities for our neighbors out there who have been impacted by the hurricane.”
In the afternoon of October 9, lawmakers met in Raleigh and passed legislation that included NCAE’s requests for calendar flexibility and protection of school employee pay.
“The General Assembly today took the first step towards helping our mountain region, and its local public schools, recover from Hurricane Helene,” said President Walker Kelly. “NCAE is glad that lawmakers heard the call for calendar flexibility and protecting school employee pay, which will ease the burden on educators who have had their lives turned upside down.”
She added, “From here, Western North Carolina students and educators will need our continued support over the coming months. NCAE members will advocate for additional funds to protect school district budgets, provide free school meals, and build safe and sturdy schools across North Carolina. These are far more vital priorities right now than private school vouchers."
