Mitchell County Schools will be on a regular schedule today! Student drivers, please use caution for any patches of ice on bridges and areas where ponding water may have frozen overnight.
Mitchell County Schools will be closed for students today, January 27. It will be a staff workday. We have areas of black ice and do not feel we can safely put buses or student drivers on the road.
Mitchell County Schools will be on a 3 hour delay today, Monday, January 27, as snow is falling in higher elevations. We will continue to monitor and if a schedule change is needed, it will be announced by 8:00 am. Buildings will open at 8:30am and staff should report at 8:00am. Mitchell High School will have their second block exam and the first block exam will be postponed until Wednesday.
We are back to regular schedule on Monday!
Hurricane Helene: This Is Our Story
Story Submitted by Wendy Holloway, Music Teacher at Mitchell Elementary/Middle School
My most cherished memories from living through Helene are those of saying “Hello.”
When the worst of the storm hit Friday morning, I moved the couch to the middle of our living room, away from windows. My daughter and I waited out the storm there, praying and watching downloaded cartoons to keep her calm. Every little bit, we heard trees snap and saw them fall behind the house, brushing the windows, but none caused damage.
When the storm calmed, I wasn’t sure what to do. Communication was down, and all I knew was what had happened at home: trees and power poles snapped, power lines lay beside the house, and every surface was covered with leaves and branches.
When I ventured outside, the silence struck me. Living beside the highway, there’s always noise, but now there was none—no vehicles, phone calls, or voices. I didn’t know if I could reach my family or if they were even safe. We waited and stayed busy cleaning and playing to keep from worrying.
Finally, we heard cars and ATVs. Around 4 PM, my dad and niece arrived. Seeing them brought immense relief and joy. My dad said, “It’s bad,” but words failed to describe the aftermath. Following him to their house, I was almost speechless at the destruction.
So many trees were down that a four-mile trip took ages. An entire grove of trees was obliterated, snapped like toothpicks. The path was barely one lane, sometimes switching sides of the road. I held my breath, hoping my car would fit through the narrow openings. Most bridges to homes were gone, though the one we needed was miraculously intact.
At my parents’ house, we had an emotional reunion with my mom and grandma, who had no idea if we were coming. I later learned my dad rescued my grandma during the eye of the storm. The calm didn’t last, and trees began falling again as he worked to clear the road. He even had to drive over a fallen tree to escape. I’m amazed and beyond thankful the Lord protected him, allowing me to hug him again.
Neighbors and family gathered, relieved to find each other safe. But we hadn’t heard from my husband, a DOT worker. Before communications went down, he’d told me they were ordered back to the shop until the storm passed. I left a note on our door saying where we’d gone.
It was after 10 PM when he arrived. His crew had worked nonstop cutting paths through fallen trees to help families reconnect. When he came in, we hugged and cried, so thankful to be together again.
Over the next few days, more reunions happened on my parents’ porch: my sister, nephew, sister-in-law, and others brought good reports. Friends traveling to Tennessee for cell service stopped by, and more family members came just to check in.
As we ventured out, familiar faces were everywhere: folks at the laundromat in Tennessee, friends at the community center, everyone at church accounted for, and students I teach in all those places. Each meeting brought joy, thankfulness, and the words, “I’m glad you’re okay.”
The devastation is everywhere: mountainsides of trees blown down, bridges and homes carried away by water, a landscape forever changed. It’s hard to believe such a storm hit our mountains, far from typical hurricane paths.
The destruction is heartbreaking, but it reminds me of two truths:
God is Almighty. He spoke this world into existence and controls every blade of grass.
God is merciful beyond comprehension.
Despite stories of tragedy and loss, it’s a miracle to say “Hello” to so many people in my life.
We are aware that snow falling in parts of our county this morning. We are continuing on our one hour delay schedule as roads are clear and snow is predicted to end soon.
Bus Information for Friday, January 24
We have one more substitute teacher training coming up Thursday, February 6!
Bus Information for Thursday, January 23
Mitchell County Schools will continue on our one-hour delay schedule tomorrow, January 23 and Friday, January 24 due to extremely cold temperatures. We want to make sure our buses get started and are on time for pick-up so students aren't waiting outside. We will begin our regular schedule on Monday, January 27.
Bus Information
Mitchell County Schools will be on a 2 hour delay tomorrow, Wednesday, January 22nd. Buses will run clear roads only. The roads we are aware we cannot run will be posted on social media and our web page later tonight. Parents, please call your child’s school if a bus does not run your road. The principal and teachers will work with students on school work makeup. Staff need to report before 8:10 am and all schools will open for drop off at 8:15am.
We love our partnership with the Avery YMCA as they provide our afterschool program. Please complete the survey as we apply for grant funding to continue this opportunity.
https://forms.monday.com/forms/72ffb7d7489a4aac9e02dca35d7eb81e?r=use1&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0z7Sn647ANO9eRw1ZQGcU45pkwPnEIz_pALDV6EgFMhnfS9yLCsV0JeMw_aem_7XSsg_gcXJ-Fw9oKVwQjKg
Mitchell County Schools understands that creating a safe learning environment requires continuous effort, vigilance, and collaboration. Safety of students and staff is one of our highest priorities. We maintain an SRO at every school due to grant efforts and collaboration with the Mitchell County Sheriff's Department. There are various methods and plans to communicate emergencies in every school. Thank you for trusting us with your most valuable possession every day.
We have received several calls this morning about an emergency situation . Please know this situation is not a school in Mitchell County Schools. We are thinking of our friends in another district this morning!
Tomorrow, Tuesday,January 21st, Mitchell County Schools will be closed. This will be a Schedule 2 Workday for staff. There will be no remote learning for students.
We have a few calendar reminders for next week...
Mitchell County Schools will be Closed for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday on Monday, January 20th. We will be on our one hour delay schedule on Tuesday, January 21 and Wednesday, January 22. We will return to school on our regular schedule (not 1 hour delay) on Thursday, January 23rd. We had previously announced we would return to regular schedule on January 21, but are postponing that change until January 23 because of the bitterly cold temperatures forecasted for early next week.
Buses will not run these roads on Friday, January 17.
Today we enjoyed a visit from North Carolina State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Mo Green. We shared the challenges we have faced with Hurricane Helene as well as our goals moving forward. We appreciate Mr. Green visiting Mitchell County and look forward to working with him as he leads public education in our state.
Buses will not run the following roads on Thursday, January 16, 2025.
