Originally published in The Sylva Herald Oct. 7 edition Southwestern Community College students hosted a public forum for the candidates running for the Board of Education Seat 5 on Oct. 1. The candidates racing for the empty seat are Amanda Woods and Sandy Jennings, who were both invited to the forum. Jennings was not present at the forum. SCC […]
School board votes to assess Smoky Mountain High turf field
August 26, 2026 by
Story originally published in The Sylva Herald, Aug. 26 edition The Jackson County Board of Education voted Tuesday, Aug. 25, to bring in an engineering consultant to evaluate the artificial turf at Smoky Mountain High School and determine whether it needs to be replaced. The board voted unanimously to authorize Superintendent Dr. Dana Ayers to negotiate an agreement with Fit […]
JCPS construction projects estimated to be nearly $30 million over budget
January 30, 2026 by
A version of this story was published in The Sylva Herald Jackson County Public Schools’ new building projects and renovations are nearly twice as much as the county had previously allocated. This was the main topic of the regular joint meeting between the Jackson County Board of Education and the Board of Commissioners on Jan. 22 where no decision was […]
New state law requires phone policies in classrooms
October 12, 2025 by
Story originally published in The Sylva Herald, Oct. 8 edition Over the summer, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a bill that mandates all local boards of education create a phone policy for their districts. NC House Bill 959, approved on July 1, includes the minimum standards for these phone policies. This includes limiting student […]
