Schools remain closed indefinitely in western NC weeks after Hurricane Helene

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Doors remain shuttered at many western North Carolina schools weeks after Hurricane Helene slammed the area.

The Buncombe County School District updated parents Tuesday that there is no timetable to welcome students back into the classroom.

UNC Researcher Dr. Cassandra Davis has concern for those kids, after studying two other major natural disasters in our state.

A study looked to the 600,000 children impacted by Hurricane Matthew and 1.2 million impacted by Hurricane Florence, and what that meant for their education.

"It's awful that our children are having to experience such horrific instances," said Davis. "These 'One in 1,000 year floods' that are happening, we really have to collectively think of what does a just recovery look like for all of us."

Davis said when storms hit, students can experience trauma from losing their homes and belongings.

"When we look at younger grades, we see that it takes a bit longer for students to bounce back," she said.

Davis said there are clear impacts on elementary math and reading scores for students who lived through Matthew and Florence, compared to peers who were not impacted by a storm.

Researchers also met with hundreds of educators.

After Matthew, teachers found that the academic achievement of 23 percent of students worsened. After Florence, educators reported that 55 percent of students showed regression.

Davis said with Helene, students will need additional support to get them back on track.

The Buncombe County School District posted on its website that district leaders "continue to work on repairing our school buildings, restoring phone and security systems, and redrawing bus routes."

"This recovery process will likely be longer than anticipated and that's OK. It's (about) having patience, it's having grace, it's providing the resources to those that need it," said Davis.

The school district is arranging for counselors to help students and student through this difficult time.