School Options
By: Caroline Hemphill
With the increasing options of available K-12 education in the Asheville area, parents and students are faced with more education choices than ever before.
The Asheville area is home to two public school systems, the Buncombe County and the Asheville City school systems. Between the two, approximately 54 schools serve 29,978 students. Along with these, there are numerous private, charter, magnet, and faith-based schools available.
Sophomore Joseph Scarborough has attended various public schools and a local private school Veritas Christian Academy.
“The big difference for me was that at a private school, the size of my grade was about 20 students. Here at TC, it’s about 400,” Scarborough said.
Because of the success his sister had at Veritas, he transferred from Estes Elementary in hopes that he would have the same experience as his sister. However, the small class sizes were a challenge for Scarborough, and he ended up transferring back to the Roberson school district.
Under the public school spectrum, options exist in the form of traditional public schools, like Roberson, or magnet and charter schools. Each of these schools receive funding from the state and national government and have to abide by national guidelines. Charter schools, such as IC Imagine, are unique in the sense that they also receive funding but run independently from the public school system which allows for a more specialized focus. Additionally, magnet schools, like the STEM school, specialize in certain areas such as science, technology or the arts.
Private schools, on the other hand, receive no state funding, resulting in tuition fees. This causes a certain freedom as to creating specific curriculums since they are not required to follow every state guideline. Many faith-based schools, who typically offer Bible studies, also hold worship services during the week or in classes.
With all these different options for schools, misconceptions form between students of different schools.
“A lot of people think that a private schooler is a nerd who doesn’t really have a social life, and a lot of private schoolers think that a public school is just a joke and that you can do whatever you want with your friends all day,” Scarborough said.
With all of these options, finding the right fit for school for some proves a difficult process.
“Finding a new school is hard because you have to take into account where it is, the classes they offer, and the academic rating of the school,” sophomore Celeste Costa said.
The Asheville area is home to two public school systems, the Buncombe County and the Asheville City school systems. Between the two, approximately 54 schools serve 29,978 students. Along with these, there are numerous private, charter, magnet, and faith-based schools available.
Sophomore Joseph Scarborough has attended various public schools and a local private school Veritas Christian Academy.
“The big difference for me was that at a private school, the size of my grade was about 20 students. Here at TC, it’s about 400,” Scarborough said.
Because of the success his sister had at Veritas, he transferred from Estes Elementary in hopes that he would have the same experience as his sister. However, the small class sizes were a challenge for Scarborough, and he ended up transferring back to the Roberson school district.
Under the public school spectrum, options exist in the form of traditional public schools, like Roberson, or magnet and charter schools. Each of these schools receive funding from the state and national government and have to abide by national guidelines. Charter schools, such as IC Imagine, are unique in the sense that they also receive funding but run independently from the public school system which allows for a more specialized focus. Additionally, magnet schools, like the STEM school, specialize in certain areas such as science, technology or the arts.
Private schools, on the other hand, receive no state funding, resulting in tuition fees. This causes a certain freedom as to creating specific curriculums since they are not required to follow every state guideline. Many faith-based schools, who typically offer Bible studies, also hold worship services during the week or in classes.
With all these different options for schools, misconceptions form between students of different schools.
“A lot of people think that a private schooler is a nerd who doesn’t really have a social life, and a lot of private schoolers think that a public school is just a joke and that you can do whatever you want with your friends all day,” Scarborough said.
With all of these options, finding the right fit for school for some proves a difficult process.
“Finding a new school is hard because you have to take into account where it is, the classes they offer, and the academic rating of the school,” sophomore Celeste Costa said.