BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Parents of some Buncombe County students are expressing frustration after the school district announced changes to next week’s schedule following multiple school closures and remote learning days.
District leaders canceled an early dismissal scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 12, and a teacher workday on Friday, Feb. 13, after losing several instructional days due to weather-related closures. Parents say the changes have created challenges for families who had already made plans around the original schedule.
Kailyn West Witenburg shared frustrations, saying parents had already planned trips and appointments around the scheduled days off.
“I think BCS needs to be made aware of how inconvenient and inconsiderate this is for parents,” she wrote in a Facebook message.
Others said they had already taken time off work to help students during remote learning days, only to learn those days would need to be made up.
“Right now, this arrangement feels like the district is shifting responsibility onto families while still reserving the right to extend the school year — and that is unacceptable,” Kevin Nowell said.
Daniel Brown agreed, writing, “Why all of a sudden do they need to make them up one week after they missed, that’s very short notice to parents that have appointments for their kids on days they are planned to be out of school.”
News 13 checked in with Buncombe County Schools, which was not available for an interview. District officials said they have lost 24 instructional hours, leaving the district at 1,038 hours. Under state law, schools are required to meet a minimum of 1,025 instructional hours.
BUNCOMBE COUNTY SCHOOLS SHUFFLES SCHEDULE AFTER MULTIPLE REMOTE LEARNING DAYS
Because of this, the district decided to have full school days on Thursday and Friday. Buncombe County Schools also said the district does not qualify for the 15-day remote learning waiver.
Other districts in the area are also watching the forecast closely and considering what additional winter weather could mean for their school calendars.
FEB. 3, 2026 -{ } NCDOT truck plows New Leicester Highway. (Photo: WLOS Staff)“As long as we don’t have any more snow or bad weather, then we’ll be ok, but if we do, then we would have to look at doing, losing a workday, extended the year, Saturday school,” Lisa Fletcher, Transylvania County Schools superintendent, said.
Fletcher said there may be some flexibility moving forward.
“My hope is that since we were under a state of emergency, the state can look at that and possibly waive the days missed due to the ice storm and then the snowstorm,” she said.
As winter weather remains possible, school leaders say student safety continues to guide their decisions.
“The students’ safety will always be our first priority before opening school for a school day, we will always take into account the weather, what’s projected and err on the side of safety to keep the students safe,” Fletcher said.
For parents who cannot change or rearrange plans, Buncombe County Schools said families are encouraged to contact individual school principals to discuss excused absences.
SNOWFALL LEADS TO SHIFTING SCHOOL DECISIONS, PARENT CONFUSION IN BUNCOMBE COUNTY
