Students in Buncombe County are gearing up for a new school year following Hurricane Helene.

Last school year, students lost 19 days of instruction due to the hurricane, according to officials.

“Nineteen days out of school is significant, especially when you think about certain skills and concepts like math," said Dr. Jennifer Reed, associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction at Buncombe County Schools. "But you also think about our youngest learners and how they’re just learning how to do school.”

Reed says the district adjusted its 2024-25 calendar to make up for the missed days. It also received funding from the state to include summer learning for fourth-through-eighth-graders, in addition to the summer learning for younger students.

"[The days missed] were not something

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